Astrolabe Catalogue

 

Small image of astrolabe back with rules or alidades removed. Click to enlarge.
Date 1643/4 (A.H. 1053)
Maker Muḥammad Muqīm
Place Lahore
Material Brass
Inventory no. 43704
Acquisition Presented by Lewis Evans in 1924

Back



The back contains 15 scales of the following types:
Type
(click to view scale details)
Range & Units Numbered Geometry Location
Altitude 0 - 90, Degrees of arc Every 5 degrees Circular, concentric Upper right quadrant of outer circular on back of instrument.
Altitude 0 - 90, Degrees of arc Every 5 degrees Circular, concentric Upper left quadrant of outer circular on back of instrument.
Declination Summer solstice - Winter solstice, Zodiacal divisions, equal or unequal Every 6  Arc Upper right quadrant (inside circular scales)
Prayer lines 27 - 32, Degrees of latitude At each limit. degrees Arc Upper right quadrant (inside circular scales)
Sine/Cosine 1/60 of quadrant radius Not numbered  Angle Upper left quadrant (inside circular scales)
Cotangent 0 - 60, Fingers Every 5 fingers Circular, concentric Lower left quadrant of outer circular on back of instrument.
Cotangent 0 - 60, Feet Every 5 feet Circular, concentric Lower right quadrant of outer circular on back of instrument.
Shadow square 0 - 12, Fingers Every 1 fingers Box Left hand vertical 'face' of the shadow square (in LL)
Shadow square 0 - 12, Fingers Every 1 fingers Box Left hand bottom face of the shadow square (in LL)
Shadow square 0 - 7, Feet Every 1 feet Box Right hand bottom face of the shadow square (in LR)
Shadow square 0 - 7, Feet Every 1 feet Box Right hand bottom face of the shadow square (in LR)
Lunar Mansions 0° Aries - 30° Pisces, Lunar mansion   Inner Circular, concentric half circle inside the outer circle (on mashriqi astrolabes) - covering LL and LR
Zodiacal signs Zodiacal sign Not numbered  Inner Circular, concentric half circle inside the V circle (on mashriqi astrolabes) - covering LL and LR
Terms 0° Aries - 30° Pisces, Zodiacal divisions, equal or unequal At each term  Inner Circular, concentric half circle inside the VI circle (on mashriqi astrolabes) - covering LL and LR
Faces 0° Aries - 30° Pisces, Zodiacal divisions, equal or unequal At each limit.  Inner Circular, concentric half circle inside the VI circle (on mashriqi astrolabes) - covering LL and LR
Triplicities Zodiacal divisions, equal or unequal Not numbered  Inner Box Box 'inside' the shadow square. Common site for triplicities, etc.
The back is inscribed:
Transcription Translation Notes Type
صنعت أضعف العباد محمد مقيم ابن عيسى ابن الهداد اسطرلابي همايوني لاهوري Work of the weakest of servants Qāʾim Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā ibn Allāhdād (or: Ilāhdād), the imperial (humāyūnī) astrolabist of Lahore. Along right edge of shadow square Maker's signature
فى سنه ١٢٢١ In the year 1221 In a different hand Date
فى سنه سكندرى ١٩٥٥ غظنه In the year of Alexander 1955 1955 The year is written twice, once in modern Arabic numerals and once in abdjad numbers Date
فى سنه هجرى ١٠٥٣ غنج In the Hijri year 1053 1053 The year is written twice, once in modern Arabic numerals and once in abdjad numbers Date
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