Exhibition: The Astrolabe, East and West


The Shah's astrolabe

This astrolabe was made for the Safavid ruler Shah Abbas II. He is described on the front as 'The supreme prince, the sultan, the most just, the most great, lord of the centres of command, remover of the causes of tyranny and rebellion, king of the kings of the age', while the back expresses the wish that 'May God Almighty perpetuate his Kingdom and his Empire and cause his justice and his benefits to spread over the worlds while the spheres revolve and the planets continue their courses.'
Closeup of Astrolabe, by Muhammad Muqim al-Yazdi, Persian, 1647/8   (Inv. 45747) Astrolabe, by Muhammad Muqim al-Yazdi, Persian, 1647/8   (Inv. 45747)
Astrolabe, by Muhammad Muqim al-Yazdi, Persian, 1647/8 (Inv. 45747)
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