Posted by admin On June 11, 2018
Extremely Rare Late 17th Early 18th Century Dutch Netherlands Marine Compass!!!! I say amaZingly because it is one of the most advanced designs of compasses for its time that I have come across! The needle is half white steel and half blackened steel, the white portion points North perhaps since Europeans are generally speaking white at that time, while the South is blackened since the south is primarily inhabited by darker folks, regardless the two different colors make it much easier and thus faster to differentiate between North and South, and the shape of the needle makes it much easier to follow even by someone with poor eye sight, extremely intelligent. Most likely created for the Dutch East India or Dutch West India Company, which could not function with-out such devices, the GPS of its time. It is the only compass I have eVer seen with a Z for south (Zuiden), which clearly and definitively indicate the compass is Dutch. The measurements of the wooden case are approximately 10.2 cm x 9.35 cm x 3.55 cm (4″ x 3 10.8/16″ x 1 6.5/16). The brass ring surrounding the compass is approximately 8.75 cm (3 7/16) in diameter. On the brass portion, the decorations, lines, and arabic numerals were all hand engraved by one of the worlds unknown but best compass makers I have eVer encountered. I have seen a Dutch? Compass, I inserted a question mark because the South was an S and not a Z, and of what I deem of much lesser quality fetch a sum of approximately 55 thousand USDs! So price-wise this beauty is a gift! The wooden case box is partially cracked on both sides, the crystal glass has some scratche s as can be observed on the upper right quadrant of the second image and the upper left quadrant of the 5th image , and some points of oxidation (darker colored areas), but remains a fully functional and beautiful compass worthy of any museum! A great addition to any museum quality marine or scientific collection! Definitely a gift for any high level intellectual mind! Please feel free to check out my other Museum Quality Collection! For the year of our Lord 2015 I wish you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! The item “Extremely Rare Late 17th Early 18th Century Z Dutch Netherlands Marine Compass” is in sale since Friday, October 9, 2015. This item is in the category “Antiques\Maritime\Maritime Compasses”. The seller is “bluefirebreather” and is located in San Bernardino, California. This item can be shipped worldwide.
