Ivory Parallel Rules, 19th-20th Centuries
date: label: date made
content: 19th-20th century
notes: label: Description
content: Parallel rules were part of a mariner’s basic navigational tool kit, along with dividers and a compass. This device was used for finding a ship’s bearing (compass direction), plotting a course and then transferring it to different sections of a ship’s navigational chart for wayfinding purposes. This pair is made of thin slices of ivory resembling piano keys in size and thickness. The metal hinge pieces are machined and turned.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Scrimshaw
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content: Transportation
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content: Art
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: From the collection of Dr. and Mrs. Wilbur J. Gould
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1978.0052.09
label: accession number
content: 1978.0052
label: catalog number
content: 1978.52.9
objectType: label: Object Name
content: scrimshaw
label: Object Name
content: scrimshaw parallel ruler
label: Object Type
content: scrimshaws
label: Other Terms
content: scrimshaw; Maritime
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: ivory (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 1/2 in x 1 1/4 in x 1/8 in; 11.43 cm x 3.175 cm x .3175 cm