Astrolabe, ca. 1500
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1500
This brass astrolabe, inventory number 35146, is dated to approximately 1500 and attributed to Italy. The instrument features a three-lobed throne with a screwed base and a simple, round cross-section ring.
It is constructed from two pieces (mater and limb) with soldered joints. The rete, which carries 16 stars with bulb pointers, follows a modified y-shaped design. The back contains six distinct scales including degree, zodiacal signs, calendar, unequal hours, and a shadow square. There are four plates with latitudes ranging from 33°0' to 54°0'. The instrument exhibits two distinct styles of script, suggesting that the body may be of later construction than the tympans and rete.
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
- Type
- Latin-inscribed astrolabe
- Material
- Brass
- Star count
- 16
- Throne style
- Three-lobed
- Place recorded
- Italy (?)
- Acquisition Date
- 1924
- Alidade condition
- Broken sighting vanes
- Plate latitude range
- 33°0' to 54°0'
Design
- Visible features
- • Three-lobed throne attached via screwed base • 16 stars marked on the rete with bulb pointers • Back features a central shadow square labeled with finger units • Sighting vanes on the alidade have broken off
- Provenance and History
- The instrument was accessioned by the museum in 1924 following its presentation by Lewis Evans. Records indicate that Evans obtained the astrolabe as part of the collection of S. Waters, which was purchased around 1910. Evans had originally assisted Waters in forming this collection, having purchased the item for him in Venice in 1899, establishing a traceable history back to the end of the nineteenth century.
- Inscriptions and Chronology
- The object displays two different styles of script. The tympans and rete feature an older, cruder style of square capitals created with a punch, accompanied by older number shapes. In contrast, the mater and back display a more recent script with serifed upper and lower-case letters formed with letter stamps. The disparities in lettering and numbering suggest that the body of the astrolabe may have been constructed at a later time than the tympans and rete.
- Construction and Componentry
- The astrolabe is manufactured from brass and features a three-lobed throne attached to the body via a screwed base. The ring is a simple round cross-section, and the eye-bolt type shackle connects to the throne with a threaded screw. The mater and limb are joined by soldering. The rete is designed in a modified y-shape and includes 16 stars indicated by bulb pointers. Four plates accompany the instrument, engraved for latitudes between 33°0' and 54°0'. An alidade and pointer are present, though both are described as potentially later additions to the main body.
Identification
- Inventory Number
- 35146
- 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 body of the instrument is suspected to be of later construction than the tympans and rete
- Research required: The alidade and pointer are noted as potentially later replacements