antik.it/Antique-compasses/8451-Nautical-Compass/
Code 8451
EUR 1600.00
In stock
1781015923Code 8451 Nautical CompassA World War II Royal Navy magnetic nautical compass made of brass, bronze, and glass, mounted on a custom-made oak and brass base.
The compass consists of a cylindrical container made of brass and bronze for stability, called a mortar. A hard metal stem is attached to the bottom of the mortar, supporting the eight-wind compass rose, suitably secured so that the zero point coincides with the magnetic polarity. To minimize friction, the mortar is filled with a low-freezing liquid, which also serves to rapidly dampen any oscillations of the compass rose, and is enclosed by two sturdy protective glass cases. In good condition, fully functional. Dimensions: 28 x 16 x 17 cm - 11 x 6.3 x 6.7 cm; compass diameter: 15 cm - 5.9 in.
The Greeks and Romans were still unaware of the possibility of exploiting magnetic fields for orientation, while it seems that this possibility was already somewhat known to the Chinese: around 2600 BC, Emperor Hoang-Ti managed to defeat Prince Tchi-Yeou in battle thanks to a "magic" chariot, the See-Nan (chariot indicating south). Thanks to this device, the emperor identified the enemy's escape route, even though the enemy had hidden it with a blanket of smoke. Fixed to the chariot was a wooden human-shaped figure that rotated on itself and, with its arm outstretched, always pointed south (indicating south obviously also indicated north, but south was considered the most important cardinal point by the Chinese). The Chinese also used their discoveries relating to magnetic fields as a form of entertainment and spectacle: they threw magnetized arrows like dice, and they would magically align in a south-north direction, greatly impressing and astonishing the spectators. The first references to the use of instruments that exploited magnetic force for navigation in Europe date back to the late 12th century, largely thanks to the knowledge brought by Arab merchants and navigators: we find references in Alexander Neckam's "De nominibus utensilium" and in the works of Guyot de Provins, in which the lodestone is described as a "sailor's companion." Even the inventory of a 13th-century Sicilian ship, the San Nicolò, mentions the presence on board of a lodestone and a "wooden compass."
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Italy: delivering on the average in 24 h.
Europe: delivering on the average in 2/3 weekdays.
Other countries: delivering on the average in 5 weekdays; custom duties charged to the buyer.
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Antique compasses
Code 8451 Nautical Compass
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