SteamPunk COMPASS WINDROSE Beads 85gr

The compass rose as a decorative motif

The compass rose is among the oldest graphic symbols of maritime navigation. It appeared on the portolan charts of the late Middle Ages, where rays running out from a single point showed the directions of the winds, and it survives to this day on compasses, dials and company emblems. It is exactly this combination of precise geometry and an antique look that has made it one of the basic motifs of steampunk aesthetics, where Victorian engineering is mixed with imaginary mechanics.

Box contents

The set weighs 85 grams and is deliberately mixed from different versions of the rose, so the shapes repeat only in part. The larger pieces measure around 3.5 centimeters and there tend to be five to seven of them in one package. The smaller version measures roughly 2.5 centimeters and there are considerably more, about fifteen to twenty-five. The exact ratio may differ between packages, because it is weighed out by weight rather than counted by pieces. Thanks to that, one batch brings together rayed stars, ring versions and solid discs.

Where it is useful

The pendants have an eye or a hole and can be threaded onto a chain, sewn onto fabric, cast into resin or glued onto the base of a figure, the door of a box or the cover of an album. Makers of jewelry, scrapbooks, costume accessories and dioramas with a maritime or adventure theme will appreciate them. The surface can be weathered, toned with inks or sprayed over with paint, so one batch yields a whole range of shades from polished brass to tarnished copper. Before painting it is enough to degrease the pieces and let them dry out thoroughly, or the thin coat of paint will peel later.