Executive Nautical Compass

This beautiful brass compass in its French-finished wooden box is the type of navigation aid that would have been essential on small fishing dories and lifeboats in the time of JMW Turner. Rather than being the sign of a desk-bound traveller, a compass in a box was the possession of a dedicated sailor.

Our compass is a very literal reminder of Turner, whose love for the sea was evident throughout his life. In fact, the first oil painting he exhibited at the Royal Academy was a moonlit scene entitled ‘Fishermen at Sea’. Later paintings emphasised the effects of light on the seascape, with thick layers of oil paint producing results that have led to Joseph Turner being called ‘the painter of light’.

With its luxurious wood box, this brass executive compass makes a thoughtful and inspiring gift – particularly for someone who is choosing a new direction in life. And thanks to its precision detailed dry-mounted compass rose, it’s a practical gift as well.