Silver astrolabe, inventory 41106
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1350/1 (A.H. 751)
This silver astrolabe (inventory number 41106) is a celestial instrument acquired by the History of Science Museum, Oxford, from London bookseller Malcolm Gardner in 1955.
It features a pierced, Indo-Persian style silver throne with an integrated base, a simple round-section ring, and an omega-type shackle. The mater and limb are constructed as a single piece. The rete, attached with a pin and wedge, includes 21 stars with foliate pointers and a bird-shaped pointer for Vega. Three plates provide coverage for latitudes between 20° and 32°. The back contains nine scales, including altitude, sine/cosine, shadow square, and zodiacal signs, featuring an inscription dated to 751 Hijra (1350/1).
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
- 1350/1 (A.H. 751)
- Type
- Arabic-inscribed astrolabe
- Origin
- Persia (?)
- Material
- Silver
- Acquisition
- Purchased from Malcolm Gardner in 1955
- Latitude range
- 20°0' to 32°0'
- Place recorded
- Persia
- Rete star count
- 21
- Number of plates
- 3
Design
- Visible features
- • The rete contains zoomorphic elements, including a bird-shaped pointer for the star Vega. • The throne is of the pierced, Indo-Persian type. • The back features an inscription translated as 'In good fortune, 751 Hijra'. • The alidade is double-ended with irregularly graduated, shallowly engraved scales.
- Construction and Design
- The astrolabe is constructed primarily of silver, a material noted as highly unusual for this type of instrument. The design incorporates a one-piece mater and limb, with the post for securing the plates positioned in the lower portion of the womb. The throne follows the pierced, Indo-Persian aesthetic, featuring an integrated base and supporting a simple round-section ring and an omega-type shackle. The rete displays foliate-style pointers for its 21 stars, with the pointer for Vega specifically shaped as a bird. It is fixed to the mater using a pin and wedge. Three plates are included with the instrument, providing latitude coverage ranging from 20° to 32°.
- Inscriptions and Scales
- The back of the astrolabe is engraved with nine distinct scales. These include altitude, sine/cosine, shadow square, terms, cotangent, zodiacal signs, faces, and lunar mansions. The inscription on the back is read as 'In good fortune, 751 Hijra', though the museum records suggest the date could alternatively be interpreted as 711. The museum identifies irregularities in the execution of the scales on the back, noting that while they appear to mimic traditional Islamic astrolabe designs, their arrangement and specific symbols are inconsistent with standard examples. The alidade, while double-ended and original, possesses graduations that are described as poorly engraved and effectively useless.
- Provenance and Authenticity
- The instrument was purchased by the History of Science Museum in 1955 from Malcolm Gardner, a London-based horological bookseller. Its presence in the collection is noted as a result of a 1950s initiative to expand the museum's holdings of astrolabes. The museum provides a critique of the object's authenticity, stating that the use of silver is atypical for historically functional astrolabes, which were almost exclusively crafted from brass. Based on the material choice, the style of the engraving, and the irregularity of the scales, the museum characterizes the object as a modern production intended to resemble a medieval instrument.
Identification
- Inventory number
- 41106
- 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 auction description reports the object is likely a modern fake made in the belief that silver was a traditional material for astrolabes.
- Research required: The date 751 Hijra (1350/1) on the back is noted to possibly read as 711.
- Research required: The symbols and arrangement of the scales on the back of the instrument defy standard interpretation.