A lighter material than bronze, brass has a real sense of weight and a patina that matures well, darkening with age.
Brass armillary sundials can be engraved with words and phrases of personal resonance, such as mottoes and quotations; family names and dates of birth; commissioning statements; house names with latitude and longitude; and the distances and direction to locations significant to the client.
See here for more information on personalizing sundials.