Set of three boxes of drawing instruments and compasses. Central Europe, second half of the 19th century.

Set of three boxes of drawing instruments and compasses. Central Europe, second half of the 19th century.
Steel, brass and wood.
Complete.
With its wooden box lined in fabric simulating leather, with wear.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use. A small key is missing in one of them.
Measurements: 2 x 21 x 9,5 cm (largest).

Three complete boxes of technical drawing instruments in their original cases. Among the preserved instruments, some of them with wooden handles, various types of compasses, extenders and interchangeable parts can be identified.

This set represents a piece of technical heritage, not only for its manufacturing quality and completeness, but also as a material testimony of the rise of technical drawing as a fundamental discipline in engineering, architecture and technical education of the time.

The extensive history of the compass begins in Ancient Greece, when this utensil was used as a key element in geometric and mathematical demonstrations. Until that time, earlier cultures such as the Egyptians had relied on taut strings to draw circles. Subsequently, other cultures used this valuable instrument as a source of creation, from the Romans to the Renaissance era. However, the real heyday of the compass came in the 17th century, when the first workshops dedicated to the manufacture of scientific and precision instruments appeared, producing compasses that were even artistically decorated. The development of navigation and the introduction of technical drawing in many academic training courses led to the increasing importance of this instrument, which became an indispensable element in the daily life of these professionals. At the same time, advances in precision mechanics in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the emergence of companies specializing in the manufacture of compasses, which became increasingly industrialized.