This is a beautiful Hampton Nautical 6-inch solid brass round sundial compass. The top of the sundial is hinged and a curved scale is used to set your local latitude angle. The magnetic compass allows the sundial to be oriented North. The compass features a needle lift mechanism to protect the compass' jeweled bearing when being transported. There are three adjustable legs that are used to precisely level the sundial. The sun's shadow cast by the sundial's vane marks the local time.
The top of the sundial can lay down flat, and both the latitude scale and the sundial vane are hinged to lay flat for compact storage. The sundial compass is available in a polished finish. A beautiful hardwood case is included for display and storage of the brass sundial. The box has an anchor with rope Hampton Nautical embedded in the top of the box.
Custom Engraving is available on this item with a minimum quantity purchased. Contact us for details.
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Key Features:
Polished brass housing for compass
Needle lift operates to protect bearing
Adjustable legs for precise sundial alignment
Solid rosewood box lined with felt to store compass
Brass anchor emblem inset in face of rosewood box
Custom engraving available on large quantity orders (call us for information)
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WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Formaldehyde, and Styrene, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer, and Chromium and Toluene, which are known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
Perfect for the history buff in your family, these antique compasses display two of the most important simple instruments in the history of humanity. Considered to be the first scientific instrument, the earliest basic sundials were created in Egypt around 3500 BC. Across the globe in China, in 2634 BC, the earliest antique compasses were being created. While the earliest sundials were a simple stake in the ground used to mark the sun’s movement, the first compasses were used by the Chinese to create architectural harmony through Feng Shui. Give this brass compass gift to the person in your life who marvels at ancient engineering, who understands the historical impact, or who is captivated by the beauty of these archaic instruments. The first solid evidence of the compass , from the Song Dynasty approximately 1044, describes an elegant iron fish in a bowl of water, used as a constant marker due South. Similarly, the ancient Greeks and Romans used sundials, not only to mark the day, but as decorations in their homes and gardens, and as symbols of wealth and prestige. Each brass compass pairs the gleaming round sundial, first introduced during the reign of Alexander the Great, with a nautical tool that was used to sail across vast oceans as the world opened up to humanity. These antique compasses excite the historian in anyone, and make a sophisticated addition to any room.