Inventory no. 42649 - Former Display Label
35
Persian ASTROLABE
Late 17th or early 18th century
Signed, on the back, within the shadow-square, 'Made by the poor, the contemptible to Allah the Glorious, Khalîl Muhammad b. Hasan {ain}Alî'; undated. Dated astrolabes by Khalîl Muhammad range from 1093 A.H. (1682 A.D.) to 1119 A.H. (1707/8 A.D.). Brass.
{ain}Ankabût for 22 stars. 5 plates, for latitudes 22°, 34°; 30°, 36°; 32°, 38°; 33°, ?44°; 39°, and a tablet of horizons. In the umm is engraved a circular table of the jiha longitude, latitude, and inhirâf of 34 towns. On the front of the kursî is engraved the 'throne' verse from the Qurân (Sûra 2, v. 256). The horse is a replacement. Attached to the suspension ring are a plaited red {ain}liâqa, bound with silver wire, on which are threaded 33 green beads.
Engraved on the back are graphs of unequal hours, and sines, a shadow-square, cotangent scales and scales of degrees. On the alidade are a declination scale marked with the signs of the zodiac and a scale of degrees.
[IC 45; Mayer, Khalîl b. M. XIII]
Lewis Evans Collection
Other narratives:
- Persian astrolabes
- Special Exhibition Label: 'Al-Mizan: Sciences and Arts in the Islamic World' (26/10/2010 - 20/03/2011)