Lot 106: A Portable Folding Chinese Wood Compass Sundial
Sold for: £20
A portable folding Chinese wood compass sundial, crafted primarily from wood with a heavily crackled, patterned lacquer finish and metal components. The rectangular base houses a small, fixed magnetic compass with a black bezel and a prominent red-tipped needle. The upper section, hinged to the base, folds open to reveal a central, hinged metal gnomon arm designed to cast a shadow. Inscribed on the interior surfaces are columns of Chinese characters; those on the movable section list the twelve earthly branches (子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥), representing traditional Chinese double-hour periods, while additional characters on the fixed base include “小” (small), “大” (big), “晝” (daytime), “夜” (nighttime), “至” (to), “冬” (winter), and “夏” (summer), indicating its function for seasonal time adjustment.
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