Astrolabe by Egnazio Danti
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1570
This gilt brass astrolabe, inventory number 52209, dates to approximately 1570 and is associated with Egnazio Danti, who authored the first Italian-language book on the astrolabe.
The instrument features a throne with s-shaped scroll work, a square ornate shackle, and a simple round-section brass ring. Acquired by the History of Science Museum through the Lewis Evans collection in 1924, it was previously sold at the 1911 Roussel collection auction in Paris.
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
- Latin-inscribed astrolabe
- Maker
- Egnazio Danti
- Place
- Florence
- Material
- Gilt brass
- Provenance
- Acquired from the Roussel collection, Paris, 1911
- Star count
- 31
- Rule status
- Replacement
- Place recorded
- Florence
- Maker / attribution
- Egnazio Danti
Design
- Visible features
- • S-shaped scroll work on the throne • 31 stars marked with flamant pointers on the rete • Ornate engraved head on the central pin • Square, ornate box-type shackle
- Construction and Design
- This astrolabe is manufactured from gilt brass and exhibits complex decorative elements, including an s-shaped scroll work support on the throne and an ornate, square box-type shackle reminiscent of classical column capitals. The mater and limb are formed as a single-piece construction, supporting circular concentric scales for altitude and equal hours on the outer limb. The rete is notable for its 'tropics-full' design, which includes circles for the ecliptic, the equator, and the Tropic of Cancer. Thirty-one stars are indicated on the rete with flamant pointers, and the zodiac signs are engraved in Latin. The center of the instrument is secured with a pin featuring an ornate engraved head.
- Provenance and Signature
- The instrument is signed 'F. EGNATIVS DANTES' near a coat of arms, which is presumed to be his own, although it remains unidentified. The manufacture is attributed to Danti or performed under his supervision. Danti is known for writing the first Italian-language treatise on the astrolabe in 1569. The astrolabe was part of the Roussel collection in Paris until it was purchased at auction on March 13, 1911, as lot 70. It was later presented to the History of Science Museum in Oxford by Lewis Evans in 1924, and is registered under the accession number 1924-0/2072.
- Universal Projection and Components
- The reverse of the astrolabe features a de Rojas universal projection. This component includes Latin-inscribed Arctic circles and various meridians and parallels engraved with modern European numerals. The instrumentation includes a double-ended, counter-changed alidade and a single-ended rule. The rule is identified as a replacement, though it is equipped with a sliding bracchiola and features an ornate engraved head at its center.
Identification
- Inventory number
- 52209
- 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 coat of arms has not been positively identified
- Research required: The rule is noted as a replacement