Astrolabe (back)

An astrolabe is an instrument used by early astronomers to measure the altitude of stars and planets and also as a navigational aid. This brass example was made in Persia around 1800. It is unsigned.

The back of the astrolabe (pictured here) shows amongst other information, a sine graph, graphs of the sun's meridian altitude throughout the year for Quarwin, Nishapur and Samarkand; a shadow-square; and an astrological table concerning phases of the Moon and the planets. There is also a rotatable bar with open sights in the vanes (the alidade), held in place in the centre of the instrument.

Just as the astrolabe became obsolete in the Christian West, in the more conservative later Islamic culture it became popular, both in Persia and Mughal India, where characteristic styles developed. Those from Persia were highly ornate and somewhat mannered. The entire surface was covered with patterns or inscriptions.

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