L5859

Mariner's compass Long Caption: The mariner's compass has always been one of the most important navigational instruments, since it enabled mariners to know the direction in which they were sailing. This example is mounted in a wooden box, of which the lid is now missing, to keep it safe. The compass itself is mounted on brass gimbals to keep it steady on a moving ship. It has a single iron needle with a brass cap that rests on a spike projecting from the bottom of the bowl, which also contains some lead to weigh it down and keep it steady. The compass card is made of paper and is marked both in degrees and with the points of the compass. North is indicated by a fleur-de-lys, while the other cardinal and half-cardinal points have images of figures representing the sun, moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Some small blobs of sealing wax remain on the underside of the card - they were originally put there to keep it balanced. Credit line: © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Pym Collection Object: NAV0378 Artist: Jonathan Eade Date: circa 1750 Medium: wood; paper; brass; iron; lead; glass Size: 203 mm x 203 mm x 115 mm Click here to buy a bespoke print of this image.