The oldest barometers used mercury or water, but from the mid-19th century these were replaced by aneroid versions, with their familiar clock-like faces and movable hands which indicate changes, typically: stormy, rain, change, fair, and dry.
They’ve now been largely superseded by digital tools, but there are many handsome barometers for sale, whether antique or high-quality reproductions of actual working designs, which make great wall decorations.
Again, as more sophisticated materials and engineering have evolved, antique models are not so widely used nowadays, but fine examples in wood and brass can be unearthed all over the world.
Astrolabes are a fascinating astronomical device used for measuring the position of stars to assist with navigation, pinpoint latitude, tell the time, define the time of year, and measure objects on the horizon.