Helen Jagger, Westhampton, New York (sister of the artist)
Helen Batcheller, Westhampton, New York (niece of the artist, by descent from the above)

This work is in very good condition overall. All elements are intact and in working order. There is light wear and faint surface scratches to the constructed box and evidence of minor oxidation to the exterior hardware. There is light wear to the interior found objects within the box construction, due to the artist's working method and use of found material. The bottom right compass is missing its top silver circle element. The sand and marbles are loose and move within the lower compartment. Sand is evident within the recesses of the work.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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Executed circa 1954, Untitled (Compass Box) unmistakably illustrates Joseph Cornell’s box constructions that mined the poetic configurations of scientific imagination. Cornell’s deep fascination with themes of discovery, celestial navigation and astronomy were unfailing sources of inspiration for the artist, as evident by his early Surrealist collages of the 1930s to his intimate Hotel, Observatory, and Night Skies box series. In 1953, Egan Gallery showcased Cornell’s captivating boxes that emphasized cosmic references in their exhibition Night Voyage and later in 1955 the Stable Gallery showcased a group of works under the title Winter Night Skies. While at home in Queens he observed the constellations from his mother’s yard and combed through his collection of astronomy periodicals. No doubt, Cornell would have read about voyagers’ employment of the compass. Dated to as early as the Song Dynasty in 1040, the compass served as a key element in exploration, trade, war, and engineering. Moreover, the artist’s ventures into Manhattan included visits to the Natural History Museum’s Hayden Planetarium. In reflecting on his first visit to the planetarium, Cornell states: “the Planetarium was another moving experience, especially on the second floor with its blue dome, silhouetted city sky-line fringing it, and the gradual appearance of all the stars in the night sky to music. … The astronomical paraphernalia: charts, transparencies, broken meteors, and especially compass curios (also armillaries, telescopes, etc.) are intriguing. Arranged in cases in the hall around the circular hall.” (Joseph Cornell diary entry from July 15, 1941, quoted in Theater of the Mind: Selected Diaries, Letters, and Files, New York, 1993, p. 96)

Cornell’s boxes exult in the acquaintance of the form’s shape and function. When closed, Untitled (Compass Box) appears as an unassuming reliquary; and when open, twenty one compasses reside in shallow cutouts in three perfect rows. Hidden below the compasses, beneath a pane of glass, is an under layer of celestial paper collage cutouts from a Golden Guide book, Stars. Also inhabitinౠg the bottom layer is white sand and five silver balls that roam freely with the movement of the box. Given Cornell's passionate knowledge for this field, the silver balls likely reference Kelvin spheres, which were soft iron balls, used in tandem with a magnetic compass to help increase its accuracy of the readings.

Cornell’s initial efforts at box constructions began in the early 1930s, when lacking in wood-working skills, the artist acquired glass paned wood boxes. Starting in 1936 Cornell was constructing his own boxes and filling them with the refined and curious imagery that was at play in his inner world. His constructions from the 30s and 40s are more ornate and layered with objects and ephemera as evinced by an early compass set box Object (Roses des vents) dated from 1942-1953, which is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Similar to the present work, the first layer of Object (Roses des vents) presents twenty one compasses nestled in three straight rows. When this layer is removed, it exposes various compartments of objects and collages that include celestial, oceanic and land maps in addition to images of animals and miscellaneous items. While the present lot retains a minimalist aura of absence as compared to Object (Roses des vents) both works capture the artist’s unique compilation of interests and read like the diorama𝓀s of his favorite museum.

Untitled (Compass Box) is at once refined and sterile while intimate and expressive. It is not only an articulation of Cornell’s pioneering assemblage methodology but also a poignant portrait💛 of an artist searching for a world which he never knew first-hand. The box is a vehicle by which Cornell could admire his found treasures and travel the night sky from the boundaries of his home.