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Astrolabe, by Khalil Muhammad ibn Hasan `Ali and `Abd al-A'imma, Persian, Early 18th Century

Inventory Number 33739

Acknowledgement: © History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, inv.33739

Brief Description
It is unusual to see a 'division of labour' recorded on an astrolabe, but is characteristic of one group of astrolabe makers in Isfahan in the first decades of the 1700s CE. In this case we are told, through separate signatures, the name of the maker - Khalil Muhammad ibn Hasan Ali - and of the man who 'decorated' the astrolabe - Abd al-Aimma. With such fine decorative engraving, especially on the back and the womb, and extending also to the rim, it is not surprising that a specialist was responsible for this aspect of manufacture. Khalil Muḥammad collaborated in this way with a number of his contemporaries, chiefly Muhammad Baqir and Abd al-Aimma, who was also a famous astrolabist in his own right.
Subject
Astrolabes
Item type
Object
Provenance
Presented by J. A. Billmeir in 1957. Formerly in the Michel Collection. Made for the vizier of Shah Husain, Mirzā Muḥammad Ṭāhir J. A. Billmeir acquired it with the collection of Henri Michel, of Brussels, which he purchased around 1950.[Source: 'A Universal Geometry: the Astrolabe East and West'; Museum of the History of Science cataloguing project supported by the Designation Challenge Fund of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, completed 2005, See https://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/astrolabe/].
Primary inscriptions
الفقير خليل محد ابن حسن علي صنعه "Made by the poor man Khalil Muhammad ibn Hasan Ali". Engraved in a cartouche below the shadow-square. نمقه عبد الائمه ابن عبد الحسين "Decorated by Abd al-Aimma ibn Abd al-Husain". Engraved on the back, at the bottom. تمامها و ... الله … طلوع النير الاعظم ابو المظفر ... شاه سلطان حسن خان خلدالله ملكه باشره الثوار الاكمل العظم ... الامر الى[…] دولته الدولة العلليه العالي ميرزا محمد طاهر وسع كرسيه السموات والأ رض "His Throne extends over heavesn and earth". Engraved on the back of the kursi.
Object type
Astrolabe
Dimensions
Height: 177mm
Inventory No
33739
Accession Number
1957-84/7

Description

An inscription on the throne records that the astrolabe was made during the reign of the Safavid Shah Husain (1694-1722) for his vizier, Mirza Muhammad Tahir. The rim is also decorated.

Parts

It comprises: a mater, a rete, 2 plates, an alidade, a horse and pin, a yellow cord ('ilaqa). There are two paper plates interposed between the brass plates.

Throne

The throne is of the indo-persian, engraved type and it is attached with a integrated base. Scalloped throne, with 5 small lobes, simple scroll work at the bottom. Extensive inscription on front, shorter inscription on back surrounded by foliate decoration.

Ring

The ring is of the simple, round cross-section type (i.e. simple plain ring made from a round rod or piece of metal).

Shackle

Shackle of the omega type (i.e. Ω-shaped shackle). Tabs on ring decorated as leaves.

Mater

The mater and limb are of one-piece construction. There is a short inscription at the bottom of the limb. This instrument has a tab on the limb, inside the mater, to hold the tympans in place rather than a notch in the mater and a tab on the plates. The rim is marked with a degree scale 0-360° divided every 5 degrees, subdivided every degree, and labelled in Abjad numerals every 5 degrees.

Womb

The womb contains a gazetteer with coordinates for 46 cities.

Back

On the back are scales of degrees; cotangent scales; a sine graph with a diagram of unequal hours; the arcs of the signs of the zodiac with graphs of the sun's meridian for latitudes 24°-42° at intervals of 2°, and of azimuths of the Qibla for Shîrâz, Baghdad, Isfahan and oûs; a shadow-square within which is a table of triplicities; and an astrological table of the signs of the zodiac, the terms and faces of the planets and the 28 mansions of the moon.

Rete

The rete is of the foliate type. The east-west bar is poorly drawn, the two sides do not match up well (one side being counter-changed, ther other not). There is a single knob for rotation. There are numerous construction marks on the back of the rete. It features 23 stars.

Zodiac label

The ecliptic circle is divided and labelled in Abjad numerals every 3 degrees. The zodiac is labelled: حمل , ثور , جوزا , سرطان , اسد , سنبله , ميزان , عقرب , قوس , جدي , دلو , حوت.

Pin and horse

The rete is attached using a pin and horse.

Alidade

Doble-ended alidade. It is engraved with a scale of degrees and a declination scale and bears ornamental inscriptions.

Plates

There are 2 plates, for latitudes 29°, 35°; 30° and 36°; there were originally 4 or 5 plates. The umm is engraved as a gazeteer of the longitude, latitude and inhirâf of 46 places.

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