Astrolabes /
Browse / 46769
Date | 1490 |
Maker | Hans Bamman |
Place | Thüringen |
Material | Brass |
Inventory no. | 46769 |
Acquisition | Presented by Lewis Evans in 1924 |
Only the mater survives of this instrument. The back contains not just the standard zodiac-calendar scales and a shadow square but also - less common on a 15th-century European instrument - a scale of lunar mansions.
Several astrolabes are known by Hans Bamman, a native of Schmalkalden in Germany, who was one of the earliest European instrument makers regularly to sign and date his work.
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Mater
The mater and limb are of two pieces, soldered and riveted construction. Scales on the limb: degree scale. More informationBack
The back contains 6 scales of the following types: Degree; Zodiacal signs; Lunar Mansions; Calendar; Unequal hours; Shadow square. The back is inscribed: with a date marked as 1490. This date is engraved in the center of the unequal-hour scale. with a maker's signature marked as h T b (Hans Bamman of Thüringen). The central T is enclosed in a triangle. Together, the three initials are typical of Hans Bamman. More information