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Chinese geomantic wooden compass with magnetized needle in the center for Feng Shui
$936.83
£694.58
€780
CA$1,286.99
A$1,404.96
CHF 739.73
MX$16,829.77
NOK 9,460.85
SEK 8,637.91
DKK 5,943.32
About the Item
Chinese wooden geomantic compass in a circular shape with a magnetized needle in the center, used in the practice of Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese discipline that studies the harmony between people and their environment in order to promote well-being, health, prosperity and energy balance.
Chinese manufacture from the early 1900s.
Good condition, perfectly readable.
Measures 14.8x2 cm - inches 5.9x0.8.
The last photo is the gift box.
Geomantic compasses summarize the enormous complexity of Chinese thought and, in the more properly practical realm, were to be used to identify correlations between the natural universe and human beings.
The form and functions of the geomantic compass still in use today in Hong Kong and Taiwan reflect those of about a thousand years ago (Song era). The instrument is round; at its center, under a small glass bell, is, suspended on a pivot, a magnetic needle that indicates South according to the Chinese convention, as opposed to the European convention that has always referred to North. Arranged around this center are other concentric circles called ceng, of increasing diameter, divided into sectors, and whose number varies between 16 and 24, although compasses with a greater number of circles, up to 40, have been documented. Each of these ceng depicts an aspect of Chinese cosmography.
The geomancer, is the one who knows how to use his compass to choose the propitious place where to erect a house, or where to place a tomb, by consulting some ceng of his compass, and later a manual, he can determine at what point in his cyclical evolution each of the Five Elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water, is in the chosen site; he can thus determine whether in this place the energy potential of the negative ying and positive yang forces is in the optimal ratio.
The principles of this art, which originated in China more than four thousand years ago, are based on the I Ching or Book of Changes, the foundation of almost all traditional Chinese philosophy, finding the right balance between the Yin and Yan within dwellings causes the body and spirit of those who inhabit them to benefit greatly.
In China, people would consult a Feng Shui expert to choose the land on which to build, how to orient the house and where to place the front door based on the birth date of the head of the family, and also to choose the date when construction would begin and when the family would move into the new house. A Feng Shui expert is also able to evaluate a house from an energetic point of view and decide what "remedies" should be adopted to harmonize the energy within the house and bring prosperity and serenity to the family living in it.
- Dimensions:Height: 0.8 in (2.04 cm)Diameter: 5.9 in (14.99 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1900
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Milan, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1020246824012
About the Seller
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