A time-measuring device featuring two glass bulbs connected vertically by a narrow neck, allowing a regulated flow of material, usually sand, from the upper bulb to the lower one due to gravity. Once all the sand has flowed to the bottom, the hourglass can be inverted to measure another interval of time. The duration an hourglass measures depends on the quantity and coarseness of the sand and the width of the neck. Hourglasses have been used throughout history to measure time, especially before the invention of more accurate timekeeping devices