Astrolabe template and brass blank
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
18th century (?)
This object is a wooden astrolabe template, known as a dastūr, which serves as a specialized tool for an instrument maker. It features a central recess containing an unfinished brass blank intended for an astrolabe.
The object is part of a larger ensemble of 18th and 19th-century Persian instruments and workshop equipment acquired by the museum in 1969-70 from the dealer Alain Brieux. The template is designed to guide the construction of astrolabes and related astronomical devices. The mater and limb are present in an unfinished state, and the back remains blank, documenting the intermediate stage of the instrument-making process.
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
- Astrolabe template
- Origin
- Persia
- Status
- Unfinished
- Ensemble
- Part of a larger toolkit
- Material
- Brass and wood
- Place recorded
- Persia
- Acquisition date
- 1969-70
Design
- Visible features
- • Wooden template board with recessed central circular space • Plain brass disc blank set within the central recess • Visible surface markings and construction lines on the wooden base
- State of Preservation
- The object is recorded in an incomplete, unfinished state consistent with its role as a template. The mater, limb, and womb components are described as blank, indicating that the engraving of scales and other functional details was never performed on this specific assembly. This lack of detail is the intended state for a template used to guide the formation of future instruments. The wooden base shows signs of use, including marks from the construction processes. The materials, specifically the brass and wood, are consistent with the period of manufacture attributed to the ensemble, though the exact dating remains subject to historical estimation.
- Provenance and Context
- The template was acquired by the History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, between 1969 and 1970. It was purchased from the Paris-based dealer and collector Alain Brieux. The object was documented as part of an ensemble of tools and instruments that had been brought to Europe from Iran. This group of items is interpreted as the contents of a maker's workshop. In addition to the template, the collection includes a brass blank for a secondary instrument such as a sundial or qibla indicator, a rectangular quadrant, a set square, a gnomon, and a large wooden quadrant. The presence of these varied components suggests a collective assemblage of equipment used for the production of multiple types of astronomical and navigational instruments.
- Construction and Function
- The object functions as a template, or dastūr, specifically used by an astrolabe maker to maintain consistent dimensions and proportions during fabrication. It consists of a wooden base featuring a central circular recess. Within this recess, a plain, circular brass blank is housed, waiting for subsequent stages of manufacture such as engraving and the addition of scales. The instrument is categorized as a specialized workshop tool rather than a finished timekeeping or astronomical device. The surface of the template exhibits preliminary layout lines, which assisted the maker in positioning the components of an astrolabe. It demonstrates the preparatory requirements for metalworking in 18th-century Persian instrument production.
Identification
- Inventory number
- 52332
- 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: Dating remains uncertain with a question mark in the source
- Research required: Exact provenance of individual maker unknown
- Research required: Workshop attribution is based on the ensemble's collective nature