Chinese Fengshui Luopan (罗盘), late Qing to early Republican period, of circular wooden form, finely inscribed with multiple concentric rings of characters including the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, Eight Trigrams, and the Twenty-Four Directions, forming a complex cosmological and geomantic system used in traditional Chinese fengshui practice. The dense and carefully arranged inscriptions reflect its function as a precision instrument for determining orientation, site selection, and auspicious spatial alignment.

The reverse is carved with the name “Fang Xiushui” (方秀水), identifying the maker as the founder of the renowned Fang Xiushui Luopan workshop in Wan’an (Anhui province), one of the most important historic centers of geomantic instrument production in China. With a legacy extending over four centuries, the workshop was among the leading producers during the golden age of luopan manufacture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Instruments associated with this lineage gained wide recognition, and related works—such as sundials—were awarded a gold medal at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

Given the prominence of the Fang Xiushui workshop and its documented international exposure, it is possible that this example relates to export circulation during the early 20th century, though this remains to be confirmed. The piece is said to have remained in the San Francisco Bay Area for an extended period, further suggesting an early presence in the region during a time of active cultural exchange.

This example thus represents not only a functional geomantic instrument but also an important artifact of regional craftsmanship, diaspora history, and traditional Chinese cosmology. Well preserved, with clear inscriptions and a rich patina consistent with age. {Diameter: 9 1/4 inches}.

For condition report, please contact the Asian Art Department.