Astrolabe by Allāh-Dād
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1570
This brass astrolabe is attributed to the maker Allāh-Dād, produced in Lahore circa 1570. The instrument features an Indo-Persian pierced throne with an integrated base and a trefoil shackle.
The rete, attached by a round-headed pin and an intricately engraved horse, is of the foliate type and incorporates bird-shaped star pointers. It includes six plates with latitude ranges from 21° to 66°. The mater and limb are constructed as a single piece. The back contains 11 distinct scales including altitude, sine/cosine, declination, cotangent, and shadow squares, alongside astrological markers for faces and triplicities.
The object is completed by an original double-ended alidade and a single-ended replacement pointer. Acquired by the History of Science Museum in 1957, the piece was previously held in the Charles Chadenat collection and auctioned in Paris in 1956.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Date
- ca. 1570
- Type
- Arabic-inscribed astrolabe, Indian subcontinent
- Maker
- Allāh-Dād
- Place
- Lahore
- Material
- Brass
- Provenance
- Charles Chadenat collection, Hotel Drouot, Paris, 1956
- Rete style
- Foliate
- Acquisition
- Presented by J. A. Billmeir in 1957
- Place recorded
- Lahore
- Maker / attribution
- Allāh-Dād
Design
- Visible features
- • Foliate rete with zoomorphic bird-shaped star pointers • Pierced Indo-Persian throne with integrated base • Double-ended original alidade with bent right-hand sight • Replacement single-ended pointer
- Scales and Instrumentation
- The instrument’s functionality is defined by a comprehensive series of scales located on the limb and the back. The limb features a circular, concentric degree scale marked at five-degree intervals. The back contains eleven scales, including circular altitude scales, sine and cosine measurements, declination arcs, and cotangent scales marked in fingers and feet. The shadow square is positioned in the lower quadrants and is divided into segments measuring fingers and feet. Additionally, the instrument contains interior boxes designated for astrological data, specifically faces and triplicities, and a gazetteer within the womb of the instrument.
- Provenance and Documentation
- The astrolabe is identified by inventory number 47376 and was acquired by the History of Science Museum in 1957. The object was donated by J. A. Billmeir. The documented provenance traces the instrument to the Charles Chadenat collection, a Parisian dealer and collector. It was purchased by Billmeir at an auction sale held at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris on May 24, 1956. No further ownership history is recorded in the provided museum catalogue entries for this specific item.
- Structural Design and Components
- The astrolabe is constructed primarily of brass, featuring a mater and limb formed as a single-piece component. The throne is of an Indo-Persian, pierced design, mounted on an integrated base, and supports a heavy trefoil-shaped shackle and a ring with a squared cross-section. The rete follows a foliate style, lacking designated stars but containing zoomorphic engravings of birds that function as pointers. The assembly is secured by a round-headed pin and a life-like, engraved horse. There are six plates present with latitude coverage spanning 21° to 66°. The alidade is an original, double-ended instrument with a right-hand sight angled toward the center and a scale marked along the upper edge of the right arm. A single-ended replacement pointer is also present.
Identification
- Inventory number
- 47376
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The rule is a replacement part
- Research required: Exact astrological scale readings and specific star identities require further verification