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twig field
Jan 15,2026
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C.1935, English?, Sun Compass, incomplete. What is here is in pretty good condition, the brass nicely polished.

Anonymous (not verified)
23 October 2024
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Missing is some type of insert that goes into the two upright bars. Sun compasses were used by the Vikings in their trips to America over 1000 years ago, and there are hundreds of designs. An Englishman name Cole made a version for use on military vehicles in WWII, where they were needed in the Sahara desert. This instrument draws on the fact that the sun's shadow from the tip in the middle of a disk describes different hyperbolas at different times of the year. When you have the hyperbola representing some degree and you know for sure the date, you don't have to know the time of the day in order to find the general directions. All you have to do is rotate the disk until the shadow of the tip falls on the hyperbola, and the general directions are given with an accuracy of a few degrees. Heavy. Height 9 inches (23cm)

Clock image
Price Type
auction
Manufacturer
Unsigned
Credit
R.O. Schmitt Fine Arts
Creditor url
http://www.roschmittfinearts.com
Text search
C.1935, English?, Sun Compass, incomplete. What is here is in pretty good condition, the brass nicely polished. Missing is some type of insert that goes into the two upright bars. Sun compasses were used by the Vikings in their trips to America over 1000 years ago, and there are hundreds of designs. An Englishman name Cole made a version for use on military vehicles in WWII, where they were needed in the Sahara desert. This instrument draws on the fact that the sun's shadow from the tip in the middle of a disk describes different hyperbolas at different times of the year. When you have the hyperbola representing some degree and you know for sure the date, you don't have to know the time of the day in order to find the general directions. All you have to do is rotate the disk until the shadow of the tip falls on the hyperbola, and the general directions are given with an accuracy of a few degrees. Heavy. Height 9 inches (23cm)
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