Astrolabe Catalogue

R. T. Gunther in The Astrolabes of the World (1932) dubbed this 'The Hunter's Astrolabe', because of the hunting scene depicted on the front of the throne. It is quite likely that so specific a decorative theme would reflect the interests of the person the astrolabe was originally made for. Hunting was of course a pastime typically pursued by the most high-ranking and wealthy (in Muslim and Christian society alike).

The large thrones typical of Persian astrolabes were usually either filled with calligraphy - often surah 2:255 of the Qur'an, speaking of God's command of the heavens as well as the earth - or they were filled with intricate foliate decoration either engraved, embossed, or in filigree. Occasionally an inscribed cartouche, or a particular image, would emerge from the midst of the foliage. This hunting scene develops the pictorial possibilities of such workmanship to its fullest degree, and resembles illustrations in the illuminated manuscripts for which Islamic art is famous.

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