Astrolabe by Muḥammad Muqīm, 1643/4
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1643/4
This brass astrolabe is signed by the maker Muḥammad Muqīm of Lahore and dated to 1643/4 (A.H. 1053). The mater and limb are constructed in one piece, with the limb featuring a degree scale graduated every 5 degrees.
The back displays 15 different scales, including altitude, declination, prayer lines, sine/cosine, cotangents, a shadow square, lunar mansions, zodiacal signs, terms, faces, and triplicities. The instrument includes 5 plates for latitudes ranging from 22°0' to 66°0'. The current double-ended alidade is a replacement. Additional inscriptions on the back reflect later dates of 1806/7 and a year of Alexander.
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
- 1643/4
- Type
- Arabic-inscribed astrolabe, Indian subcontinent
- Maker
- Muḥammad Muqīm
- Plates
- 5 plates
- Material
- Brass
- Throne type
- Indo-Persian, pierced
- Place recorded
- Lahore
- Maker / attribution
- Muḥammad Muqīm
- Place of manufacture
- Lahore
Design
- Visible features
- • The back bears multiple inscriptions added in different hands, including dates in Arabic numerals and abdjad numbers. • The alidade is a straight, double-ended replacement. • The shadow square is divided for fingers and feet.
- Rete and Accessories
- The rete is designed in the foliate style, consisting of a network of foliage-patterned metalwork that rotates within the mater. It is noteworthy for currently lacking star pointers. The zodiac is marked on the rete using standard Arabic script labels. The central assembly includes a pin with a radially-engraved head and a horse, the latter of which is considered a replacement component rather than part of the original instrument. The set includes five interchangeable plates covering latitudes from 22 to 66 degrees. A double-ended alidade is provided to span the back of the astrolabe for observation, although this piece is a replacement for the original. The provenance record indicates that the instrument was acquired in 1909 at a sale in Carpenden Park before being presented to the museum by Lewis Evans in 1924.
- Construction and Mater
- The astrolabe is constructed primarily of brass and follows a traditional Indo-Persian form. The mater and the limb are made of one-piece construction, providing a robust base for the remaining components. A positioning tab is located at the base of the instrument, 180 degrees from the throne, to hold the tympans in place. The limb features a circular, concentric degree scale ranging from 0 to 360, with markings provided at 5-degree intervals. It features a trefoil design that serves as the mounting point for the omega-shaped shackle. This shackle is embellished with engraved bands and connects to the throne using decorative tabs, while the suspension ring is a simple round rod.
- The Back and Inscriptions
- The reverse side of the instrument acts as a complex calculation tool containing 15 distinct scales. These include standardized sets for altitude (marked in the upper quadrants), sine/cosine, cotangents, and a central shadow square. Additional astronomical and astrological data are represented through scales for lunar mansions, zodiacal signs, planetary terms, faces, and triplicities arranged in concentric circular patterns. The back is also the site of the maker’s signature, which identifies the creator as the 'weakest of servants' Qāʾim Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā ibn Allāhdād of Lahore. Beside the maker's mark are several dated inscriptions added in different hands. These include the original date of 1053 Hijri, a later notation for the year 1221, and a reference to the year of Alexander (1955), which are provided in both modern Arabic numerals and abdjad numerical notation.
Identification
- Reference
- 43704
- Accession Number
- 1924-0/2009
- Inventory Number
- 43704
- 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 horse attaching the rete is noted as likely not being original.
- Research required: The alidade is explicitly identified as a replacement.
- Research required: The precise authorship of the later date inscriptions is unknown.