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Large brass magnetic nautical compass signed KELVIN & HUGHES early 1900s
$4,031.03
£3,016.79
€3,400
CA$5,561.15
A$6,184.23
CHF 3,248.09
MX$75,608.42
NOK 40,474.33
SEK 38,156.36
DKK 25,882.49
About the Item
Large brass and glass magnetic nautical compass, signed KELVIN & HUGHES Ltd, Made in Great Britain Serial No. 2298 J.M. Made in Britain in the early 1900s, mounted on a custom-made walnut and brass base. Complete with double goniometric circle, engraved externally on the brass rim and internally on the compass rose. The compass consists of a cylindrical container made of brass and bronze to impart stability, called a mortar, to the bottom of which is attached a carbide stem, on which is placed the eight-wind compass rose, properly constrained so that zero coincides with magnetic polarity. To minimize friction, the mortar is filled with a low-freezing point liquid, which is also intended to quickly dampen any wind rose oscillations, and is enclosed by two strong protective glasses. The Henry Hughes & Son company was founded in London in 1838 producing mainly scientific and nautical instruments; in 1923 it built its first echo sounder. After the closure of the company in 1941 because of the war, began a collaboration with several instrument companies, and in 1947 a new company called Kelvin & Hughes Ltd was founded, producing, among other things, marine radar for the Ministry of Transportation. The company was liquidated in 1966.
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.
Buono stato perfettamente funzionante. Measurements 42x31x23 cm - inches 16.5x12x9.1.
The last photo is the gift box.
The earliest hints of the use in Europe of instruments that harnessed magnetic force for navigational orientation date back to the late 12th century, mainly due to the knowledge brought by Arab merchants and navigators: we find hints of this in Alexander Neckam's work "De nominibus utensilium" and in the works of Guyot de Provins in which the magnet is referred to as the "sailor's companion." The inventory of a 13th-century Sicilian ship, the San Nicolo, also mentions the presence of a magnet and a "ligno compass" on board.
- Dimensions:Height: 9.1 in (23.12 cm)Width: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)Depth: 12 in (30.48 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:1900-1909
- Date of Manufacture:1900
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Milan, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1020246456082
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