Safavid silver-inlaid brass astrolabe
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late 17th century
This late 17th-century Safavid astrolabe from Isfahan is made of silver-inlaid brass. The source records that it is signed by Muhammad Khalîl ibn Hasan 'Alî on the rete rim and decorated by Muhammad Bâqir.
The openwork rete incorporates the basmala invocation rendered in mirror script (muthannâ) within the ecliptic ring, with star pointers positioned at letter terminals. The scalloped throne is engraved with the Qur'anic Throne Verse. The limb features silver-inlaid cartouches, while the mater holds an engraved gazetteer of around ninety localities. Surviving plates are engraved with altitude circles for latitudes between 27° and 39°.
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
- Place recorded
- Iran
- Maker Signature
- Muhammad Khalîl ibn Hasan 'Alî
- Rete Calligraphy
- Basmala in mirror script
- Throne Decoration
- Throne Verse from the Qur'an
- Maker / attribution
- Muhammad Khalîl ibn Hasan 'Alî (decorator: Muhammad Bâqir)
- Decorator Inscription
- Muhammad Bâqir
- Replacement Component
- Alidade
Design
- Visible features
- • Pierced calligraphic rete positioned over an engraved plate, held by a central pin and rule • High scalloped suspension throne surmounted by a swivel shackle and suspension ring • Silver-inlaid numeral and letter cartouches around the outer rim of the brass mater • Loss of the openwork fronds on the left side of the rete outside the ecliptic ring
- Identity and Attribution
- This late 17th-century Safavid astrolabe is attributed to the school of instrument making in Isfahan. The maker’s signature, 'Muhammad Khalîl ibn Hasan 'Alî', is recorded on a small bar on the upper left circumference of the rete. A separate cartouche on the back identifies the decorator as 'Muhammad Bâqir'. The object features a scalloped suspension throne engraved with the Qur'anic 'Throne Verse'. Decorative elements include silver-inlaid cartouches on the mater rim and mirror-script inscriptions.
- Internal Components and Markings
- The mater is engraved with a gazetteer containing longitudes and latitudes for approximately 90 localities, with the qibla values left unfilled. Surviving plates are engraved with altitude circles for latitudes between 27° and 39°. The back includes a trigonometric quadrant, solar quadrant, and a double shadow square. The horizontal shadow scale features mirror-script inscriptions, with the words 'zill-i aqdâm-i mustawî' written backwards on the left, symmetrically to 'zill-i asâbi'-i mustawî' on the right. The alidade is reported as a replacement lacking required scales.
- Rete Construction and Calligraphy
- The openwork rete retains pointers for approximately 25 stars. Within the ecliptic ring, the basmala is engraved in 'muthannâ' (mirror script), with letters distributed across the center, right, and left fields. Star pointers are positioned at the terminals of these letters. Physical observations of the rete include the loss of a small piece from the upper left circumference and the loss of the right half of the fronds outside the ecliptic ring.
Identification
- 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: A small piece is missing from the upper left circumference of the rete
- Research required: Source notes the alidade is a later replacement lacking scales
- Research required: The reverse face described in the catalogue note is not depicted in this view