Name/Title
LuopanEntry/Object ID
2009.500.0578Description
Feng Shui compass. This geomantic compass, known as a luopan or feng shui compass, is a Chinese magnetic compass used to determine the best direction for a structure, place of item. It would have been used in the practice of feng shui, which is the Chinese system of geomancy, or the art of orienting buildings. At the center of the compass is a small shallow bowl, containing a dry-pivot needle, which points south. Surrounding the bowl are five concentric rows of circles, divided into segments and marked with symbols or Chinese characters. The fourth row is split into 24 parts indicating the traditional azimuthal directions. Azimuthal refers to a horizontal direction measured as an angle from a reference point – it’s a way to describe a direction on a flat plane using degrees, where 0 degrees is north, 90 degrees is east, 180 degrees is south and 270 degrees is west. The red and black characters on the compass represent the pure ying and pure yang. This compass was most likely purchased in China by Captain Frank Noyes, the donor’s father, around 1830.
Gift of Nathaniel Pendleton NoyesCollection
Lighthouse Collection