this dry-card compass recently came in to my possession from my father. he said he had originally got it as a gift from a former employer who had it sitting around his office and thought my dad my enjoy it because he is such a boat fanatic. however, my father is no longer able to keep it because he has personal obligation which wont allow any room for such a trivial item...so he says. therefore, here i am. i am interested in finding out where its from and if it has any value other than intrinsic value. the box is made of wood. the lid of the box slides off, and is inscribed with a language i am unable to decipher. i believe the language to be of Chinese origin, since the Chinese were one of the first cultures to invent a card compass. the compass it self has not inscription of its creator. i believe it to made of brass. the compasses face is also in the language found on its lid. if anyone can help to discern its identity, thank you in advance...
Description
Category
Maps, Charts, and Nautical
Medium
box is made of wood ofcourse...actual compass, i believe to be brass.
Distinguishing marks
There are no distinguishing marks, except for some writing on the lid of the box and the N-E-W-S on compasses. I am having trouble referencing it to find its possible value if any, because I am not of Asian ethnic decent. I have no linguistic competence on the Asian language, but I am assuming it is Chinese.
Condition
Good
Size and dimensions of this item
width~5, length~5, height~3
Date Period
unknown
Weight
unknown
History
unknown
eBay Auction Link
Price Paid (If known)
unknown
For Sale?
No
Photos
Re: DRY-CARD COMPASS
A very nice gimballed compass piece.
If you can post a clear photo of the compass dial, I can check to see if it's Japanese or not for you.
Also check the card face for a date- it's often stamped on it.
It looks like a small "shore" boat type compass (i.e. local fisherman) in style. English ones were also used in lifeboats as well as for small fishing and such craft.
It's nice that the lid is still present, they are often lost.
New ones of this type tend to sell for about $35 - $65 US, depending upon the quality.
If this was a working piece, with some history, it tends to go for a bit higher price. As it's always been a display piece, but still in good shape, you can probably still get the new price for it.
Garry