Accession No
1147
Brief Description
Imitation Persian planispheric astrolabe, signed by Muhammad Khazin, Persian, dated 1710 but part or whole instrument likely 19th-century
Origin
Persia (Islamic) [Iran]
Maker
Khazin, Muhammad
Class
astronomy
Earliest Date
1710
Latest Date
1900
Inscription Date
[CE]
Material
metal (brass)
Dimensions
diameter 151 mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Derek de Solla Price, as part of his research into possible fakes in the Whipple collection, wrote to Antique Art Galleries in 1955, asking them to provide details of this object and others’ provenance. Their reply indicated that this object had been acquired from “Percy Webster 1949”. Donated by Robert S. Whipple in 06/1952. Purchased by Robert S. Whipple from Antique Art Galleries, Grafton Street, London.
Inscription
[Persian script]
At the order of Haji Muhammad Sharif,
made by [al-'abd] Muhammad Khazin
1122 (lunar Hijra)
Description Notes
Imitation Persian planispheric astrolabe, signed by M. Adin (Khazin), Persian, dated 1710 but part or whole instrument likely 19th-century.
Brass planispheric astrolabe. 5 plates.
Rete: highly stylised, more decorative than functional, symmetric and lacking star pointers; inside the elciptic is a second "epicycle".
Throne: Compass inset below suspension shackle.
Mater (reverse): sinical quadrant, horary quadrant, shadow square.
Mater (inside front): Inscription in central circle, in Persian script: "At the order of Haji Muhammad Sharif, made by [al-'abd] Muhammad Khazin, 1122 (lunar Hijra)"
Mater a different coloured metal to plates, rete and alidade. Ownership inscription ‘Hajji M. Sharif’. Dated 1122 AH = 1710 AD. However, stylised rete suggests that this is almost certainly a C19th imitation made for the tourist market. XRF anaysis suggests that the mater may well be original, but that the plates, rete, alidade, and inset shackle compass are all modern replacements. (Inspection by Pouyan Rezvani on 21/03/2024 confirmed the high likelihood that this is an imitation from C19th or early C20th. Rezvani judged that the script matches across all components, and so the Mater is also likely a C19th imitation.)
Fair condition, some corrosion and scratching of inset compass.
References
Events
Description
An astrolabe is a model of the heavens with the earth placed at the centre. A section of the heavens is projected on to the astrolabe. The co-ordinates of stars and planets are depicted on a grid called the rete. The earth is represented by latitude plates of which there are more than one. This is because the movement of the stars depends upon the latitude of the place from where the observation is made. Cambridge has a latitude of 52°, Rome 42°, Madrid 41°, and Paris 49°. Each latitude plate has circles and lines engraved on them which include the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, the equator and a twilight line. The rete and latitude plates are housed within the mather which has a raised edge called the limb. On European astrolabes the limb is engraved with a degree scale showing 0° to 360° and / or a scale of 24 equal hours.
On the back of the astrolabe are engraved several scales including a calendar scale and a shadow square. On Islamic astrolabes extra scales and tables are engraved for finding the direction of Mecca (for times of prayer). At the back of the astrolabe is also the alidade (see diagram above). The alidade has sights through which an astronomer would take simple observations of the sun or of a particular star, to find the time of day or night. The sights can also be used for finding the heights of buildings, trees or hills.
From display label:
The rete of this instrument is highly stylised, suggesting that the instrument was more decorative than functional. A compass is inset into the throne. According to an inscription, the astrolabe was owned by Hajji M. Sharif.
There are 5 plates. The reverse is marked with a sinical quadrant, an horary quadrant, and a shadow square.
FM:39702
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