Inventory no. 45307 - Former Display Label
3
Early Gothic (Hispano-Moorish type) ASTROLABE
c.1300
Not signed or dated. Brass. 24 stars. The design of the rete closely follows the Hispano-Moorish type with star-pointers springing from 'open work' bases. It includes four star-pointers in the form of cut-out and engraved birds with long beaks, a semi-quatrefoil and a 'Moorish' arch at the Southern and Northern ends of the meridian line. 7 plates, engraved with almucantars, dawn and dusk lines, and lines for unequal hours in addition to the equatorial and tropical circles, but not with azimuths (latitudes: 22°, 31°; 35°, 38°; 39°, 43°; 40°, 41°; 44°, 48°; 50° (engraved with equator, tropics, horizons and unequal hour lines only), uninscribed (?c.62°); 51°, (reverse side blank)). As is usual on very early European astrolabes the limb is engraved only with a scale of 360°, but, in addition, the equal hours are marked on the rim of this instrument. On the back is a circular perpetual calendar for finding the date of Easter. 0° Aries = 131/2 March.
The suspension bracket appears to have a heraldic significance; it consists of a cut-out and engraved fleur de lys flanked on each side by a crouching lion with its head turned back, modelled in three dimensions.
Engraved throughout in Lombardic script.
The alidade, rule, pin and horse may be replacements; the sights of the alidade have notches, perhaps for use with a sighting tube.
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Billmeir Collection