Box with Compass Card c. 1810 - 1858

The 'Box with Compass Card' was made with wood and a compass card, by W. & T. Gilbert. The construction of the object centres on the contrast between a robust wooden container and the delicate, direction-giving instrument. The composition is ordered around a play of geometric forms, with the strict rectangularity of the box offset by the circular face of the compass. The colour palette here is limited to the earthiness of the wood, the pale green of the compass card, and stark black lines, evoking an atmosphere of utilitarian precision. The box provides a protective enclosure, and the compass card with its radial design, is suggestive of movement and exploration. The maker's name inscribed on the compass card indicates a claim to precision. We can see the tension between containment and openness, between the known stability of the box and the unknown possibilities of the journeys guided by the compass. This object is more than a tool. It invites us to contemplate the relationship between security and adventure.