Set of Bow Compasses
date: label: date made
content: late 19th century
notes: label: Description
content: This small square wooden case is covered with black leather and lined with maroon and black velvet. The latch is opened by pushing on it with a metal rod. Inside the case are 3" bow dividers, bow pen, and bow pencil, all made of German silver with ivory handles. These may be the only bow compasses with rounded ivory handles in the collections. W. F. Stanley of London sold sets of bow compasses from about 1850 to 1940, but the handles were designed differently. Comparing these instruments to others received in the same accession suggests they were made in the late 19th century.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Dividers and Compasses
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Drawing Instruments
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Ruth A. Ming
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1978.2110.01
label: catalog number
content: 1978.2110.01
label: accession number
content: 1978.2110
label: catalog number
content: 336727
objectType: label: Object Name
content: drawing instruments, set of
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: german silver (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ivory (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 cm x 9.5 cm x 3 cm; 25/32 in x 3 3/4 in x 1 3/16 in