Accession No
6586
Brief Description
Islamic astrolabic quadrant, possibly Ottoman Turkish, early 18th century
Origin
Turkey [possibly]
Maker
Class
navigation; dials; astronomy
Earliest Date
1800
Latest Date
1801
Inscription Date
Material
cloth (string, other); wood; metal (gold?, other); paint
Dimensions
210mm (height) x 215mm (width) x 26mm (depth)
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Charles Miller Ltd, Suite 6, 3/11 Imperial Rd., London, SW6 ZAG on or before 14/11/2014.
Inscription
[in Arabic]
Description Notes
Islamic astrolabic quadrant, possibly Ottoman Turkish, early 18th century.
Wooden astrolabic quadrant painted in red and black with gilt decoration. Ecliptic in red, divided horizon with gilt decorations every 5o, diagram of unequal hours to top right corner. Arabic instruction cartouches (two?) on right side. Reverse side has gilt-decorated sexagesimal trignometric grid. Plum bob string (likely added later). Contained in stitched bag, with blue hook to seal but missing button.
Some fading to cartouches, numbers on dial and red grids. One dark brown stain in middle. Bag very dirty/faded.
Complete.
References
Events
Description
For much of human history across diverse cultures and places, astronomical instruments have been used to determine and regulate calendars, timekeeping, and religious observance. This instrument might have been used by a merchant or official in the Ottoman Empire in the 18th or 19th century. Ottoman Turks were unique in Islam in adopting a solar year for all their financial transactions, while using the Islamic lunar calendar for their religious festivals.
The various scales and diagrams on this quadrant model the heavens and their relationship to a particular place on Earth. Among other functions, this instrument can be used to find latitudes and longitudes, the direction of Mecca, and the time of day and night.
04/07/2019
Created by: Josh Nall on 04/07/2019
FM:47102
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