Dividers

Accession Number1986.008.0729

VesselNuestra Señora de Atocha (1622)

Datecirca 1620

DescriptionAn exceptionally small set of dividers has hinged, straight arms that terminate in sharp points. The points would be used to precisely gauge or mark positions on a surface. In a shipboard context, dividers are generally associated with navigation, where they were used measure or plot length and distance on a chart in conjunction with a scale or latitude to help set a course or establish where a ship had been. Dividers could have been used by artisans, too – carpenters or metalsmiths, for example – to measure and mark points and lines on objects. Faint remnants of horizontal grooves are seen on the arms, designed to improve grip. The reason for the small size of these dividers is not known.