Brass Astrolabe by ‘Abdī

Technical characteristics

Date

1713/4

Type

Arabic-inscribed astrolabe, Near East

Maker

‘Abdī

Material

Brass

Signature

‘Abdī designed this (رسمه علي)

Provenance

Formerly belonged to Bay Fahri İmrek of Balıkesir, Turkey; presented by J. A. Billmeir in 1957

Place recorded

Turkey

Maker / attribution

‘Abdī

Place of manufacture

Turkey

Design

Visible features

• The rete contains 22 stars with flamant pointers. • The back of the instrument is inscribed with the date year 1125. • The alidade is double-ended and decorated with two simple lines.

Back and Throne Design

The back of the instrument is characterized by its restrained decoration, lacking the dense astrological tables often found on contemporary Persian examples. It incorporates seven functional scales: altitude, sine/cosine, equal hours, unequal hours, shadow square, cotangent, and degree. The date is recorded as the year 1125. The maker's signature is located on the back of the throne, simply stating '‘Abdī designed this'. The shackle is teardrop-shaped and attached via two similarly shaped tabs.

Construction and Mater

The astrolabe is fabricated from brass and follows a construction method involving two pieces for the mater and limb, which are soldered and riveted together. Rivets are visible at approximately 15-degree intervals along the circumference of the limb. The degree scale on the limb ranges from 0 to 360, numbered every 10 degrees. A guide for inscribing the limb numerals is indicated by a ring of dots situated in the center of the limb. The instrument features a Y-shaped rete designed to accommodate 22 stars marked with flamant pointers. The rete, however, is currently secured with a recent, non-original nut and bolt that exceeds the required length for the instrument.

Provenance and History

The instrument was acquired by the History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, in 1957 following a presentation by J. A. Billmeir. The provenance research indicates that the astrolabe was previously in the collection of Bay Fahri İmrek of Balıkesir, Turkey, prior to its purchase by Billmeir between 1955 and 1957. The source notes that only four Turkish astrolabes exist within the museum's collection, identifying this particular piece as the older of a known pair. The object’s stylistic features, including the strap-work within the ecliptic and the calligraphic style, serve as references for Turkish production of the period.

Identification

Inventory number

39955

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.