Bidspirit auction | Two Chinese Geomantic Compasses (Luopan)

Two Chinese Geomantic Compasses (Luopan) Including a Vintage Example in a Calligraphic Wooden Case - This lot comprises two Chinese geomantic compasses, known as Luopan, which are traditional instruments used in the practice of Feng Shui. The first example is a vintage instrument featuring a circular brass dial incised with multiple concentric rings of Chinese characters representing the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), Heavenly Stems, and Earthly Branches. The dial is inset within a square red-lacquered wooden base that incorporates a spirit level in one corner for accurate orientation. The central magnetic needle is protected under glass and aligned with red tensioned strings. This compass is housed in a dark-stained wooden case with a hinged lid. The interior of the lid is lined with paper displaying hand-written vertical columns of Chinese calligraphy in black ink with red annotations. Visible characters include 地 (earth), 得 (to get), 宜 (suitable), 再 (again), 往 (to go), 有 (to have), 喜 (joy), 慶 (celebration), 生 (life), 妒 (jealousy), 嫉 (envy), 心 (heart), 身 (body), 務 (affairs), 禍 (calamity), and 患 (worry). The second item is a contemporary Luopan featuring a polished brass dial and a square red-lacquered wooden base. It contains a white-faced central compass with red nylon crosshairs and is accompanied by its original red plastic protective sleeve. Both items are of 20th-century manufacture.