Cardan Compass

Nautical or Marine compass with Cardan system. Cardan: plate moves freely as with the sea waves. The Cardan or marine compass is a nautical instrument whose use was fundamental in the development of navigation and cartography. This exquisite instrument features the compass set in a gimbal with the two rings divided into 360 degrees. The gimbal is also called a Cardan after the Italian mathematician who developed this method of leveling the instrument at sea in the 15th century. The interior of the lid is decorated with a compass rose and the top of the lid is decorated with a marine scene. The compass is crafted of a wooden base with brass lid.  Height: 2.36" Diameter: 3.94"