COMPASS AND CALENDAR
Compass and calendar. The Chinese knew about the phenomenon of magnetism since time immemorial. In the 2nd century BC, they discovered that an elongated piece of magnetite floating in a bucket of water aligned itself in a North-South direction. This discovery was apparently a by-product of the superstitious practice known as geomantic divination, which consisted of throwing objects such as stones or pieces of engraved metal on a table in order to predict future events based on the position in which they land.
In 376 BC, General Haung Ti used this curious property to direct his army, but, surprisingly, the Chinese did not use it for maritime navigation until 900 years later. It was soon imported by the Arabs and, with them, passed to Europe.
This instrument is two in one. On one side, it has a fully functional compass and on the other, a perpetual calendar that can help you find out, for example, the day of the week that you or a relative or friend were born. You can also find out the day of the week that a historical event occurred or the day that your next birthday will fall on, all with a simple calculation.
It is also perfectly presented in a wooden box and comes with a small booklet with the history of the compass.
A perfect gift for nature and science lovers.
Measurements:
Diameter: 54 mm
Height: 20 mm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass