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Small mahogany and brass compass in use by British aviation officers 1915

$1,066.16
£788.76
€900VAT Included
CA$1,475.63
A$1,480.99
CHF 863.61
MX$18,004.54
NOK 9,923.76
SEK 10,206.08
DKK 6,861.94

About the Item

Small mahogany wood and brass pocket compass in use by British aviation officers during World War I complete with eight-wind rose with goniometric circle and compass needle block for calculating horizontal angles. Good condition, udo marks, erased on the wood the maker's name, fully functional. Measurements 7.7x7.7x2.6 cm - inches 3x3x1 . The last photo is the gift box. The Greeks and the Romans were still unaware of the possibility of harnessing magnetic fields for orientation, while it seems that this possibility was already somewhat known to the Chinese: around 2600 B.C. Emperor Hoang-Ti was able to overcome Prince Tchi-Yeou in battle thanks to a "magic" chariot, the See-Nan (chariot pointing south). The emperor, thanks to this device, identified the enemy's escape route, despite the fact that the enemy had concealed it through a blanket of smoke: fixed on the chariot was a human-shaped wooden silhouette that rotated on itself and, with its arm outstretched, always pointed south (pointing south of course was also pointing north at the same time, but south was considered by the Chinese to be the most important cardinal point). The Chinese also used their discoveries related to magnetic fields as a form of entertainment and spectacle: they would throw magnetized arrows as if they were dice, and these would line up in a south-north direction as if by magic, which greatly impressed and amazed the spectators.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 1 in (2.54 cm)Width: 3 in (7.62 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Wood
  • Period:
    1910-1919
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1915
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Milan, IT
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1020247135822

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