Falcono Astrolabe
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1507
This brass astrolabe, measuring 115 mm in diameter, is dated 1507 and signed by Falcono. The instrument is distinct in its construction as it lacks a traditional mater.
Instead, it consists of a single plate featuring a zodiacal calendar scale and markings for the sixth climate on one side, while the reverse displays a degree scale, a double horary quadrant, and a shadow square. An integral throne supports the instrument. The obverse includes circular scales for zodiacal signs and months, along with almucantars marked for every five degrees and hour lines for equal hours one to twenty-four.
The reverse side features clockwise and anticlockwise degree scales and a double shadow scale to the base twelve. The rete is damaged with a portion of the tropic of Capricorn missing, an outcome attributed to damage sustained during the 1941 bombing of the British Museum gallery where the instrument was displayed.
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
- 1507
- Type
- Italian astrolabe
- Maker
- Falcono
- Diameter
- 115 mm
- Material
- Brass
- Signature
- 1507 OPVS FALCONI
- Provenance
- British Museum
- Place recorded
- Italy
- Maker / attribution
- Falcono
- Registration Number
- MLA 1894,4-16.4
Design
- Visible features
- • The rete features wedge-shaped star pointers • Obverse includes 'ORIZON', 'ASCENDENS' and 'DESENDENS' markings • Signature 'OPVS FALCONI' is located at the center of the scale on the reverse • The equinoxes are positioned at 10 March and 13.5 September
- History and Condition
- The instrument has been held by the British Museum since its purchase in 1894. It was documented in F. A. B. Ward's 1981 work, A Catalogue of European Scientific Instruments in the Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities of the British Museum. During the 1941 bombing raids on London, the instrument was located within a gallery of the British Museum that was destroyed by incendiary bombs. The damage to the rete is reported as a direct consequence of this event. The instrument serves as a subject of study for its specific Italian construction characteristics dated to the early 16th century.
- Construction and Layout
- The instrument is constructed from brass and measures 115 mm in diameter. It deviates from standard configurations by omitting a mater. The design comprises a single plate that incorporates an integral throne for suspension. One face of the plate contains a zodiacal calendar scale and specific markings for a plate corresponding to the sixth climate, denoted as 'C 6'. The obverse displays two circular scales at the edge: a zodiacal scale with Latin signs and a calendrical scale showing months and corresponding day counts. The centre provides almucantars marked in five-degree increments, ranging from 5 to 75, accompanied by hour lines for equal hours numbered 1 to 24. Horizon markers and directional indicators for east and west are included on this face.
- Reverse Instrumentation and Signatures
- The reverse of the plate houses a double degree scale, featuring both clockwise numbering from 0 to 360 and anticlockwise numbering from 90 to 0. The upper portion functions as a double horary quadrant, numbered 1 through 12. The lower half is engraved with a double shadow scale based on 12. The signature and date are placed in the centre of the reverse scale. The lettering reads '1507 OPVS FALCONI'. The rete, while original to the piece, shows evidence of significant damage, with a portion of the tropic of Capricorn notably absent from its structure.
Identification
- Reference
- MLA 1894,4-16.4
- 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 exact extent of the 'badly damaged' rete beyond the loss of the tropic of Capricorn is not detailed
- Research required: The specific technical purpose of the 'C 6' marking remains a matter of historical interpretation