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Gimbal  Compass

Gimbal Compass

$ 88.00

This special compass features what is known as a Cardan suspension system named for Italian doctor and Renaissance astronomer Gerolamo Cardano (1501-1576). The Cardan suspension compass consists of two concentric rings whose axes are at right angles, thereby maintaining the orientation of an axis while the support moves. It is also called a gimbal system.
This form of suspension was a breakthrough in navigation, since the pitching and rolling of the ship due to waves since conventional compasses could not be used accurately during storms or heavy seas, making navigation even more difficult. Thanks to the cardan suspension, the compass remains horizontally stable, regardless of the motions of the ship.
The Cardan compass we offer is elegantly decorated with beautiful Moorish-inspired damask and its support with a Renaissance Gothic pattern. 
It is made entirely by hand with a metal alloy bathed in bronze, and is very resistant to changes in humidity and temperature.
It comes in a wooden presentation box, decorated inside with an old map that describes the voyages of Columbus, and outside with the cover of the book of Art of Sailing by Pedro de Medina in 1541.
It is also accompanied by a booklet with the history of the compass.
A beautiful and very decorative gift for lovers of the sea and history. 

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