AN ENGRAVED BRASS ASTROLABE
PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
Safavid Iran, dated 1125 AH (1713 AD), signed by the maker Amin Mohammad Shams al-Din

Of typical circular shape, comprising five engraved plates and an openwork rete with scrolling, intertwined vegetal interlace and an ecliptic ring at the top, the rule and mater densely engraved with Arabic letters and references, the womb featuring six decreasing concentric circles with Arabic inscriptions, the central roundel marked with the date '1125' (1713 AD) and signed by the maker Amin Mohammad Shams al-Din, another six bands occupying half hemisphere on the reverse, the cusp once fitted with a qibla pointer, now missing, engraved with rosettes on the front and an arabesque composition with a lotus flower flanked by split palmette scrolls on the back, with an old Sotheby's London tag reading Ottoman engraved brass astrolabe, Turkey, and extra notes in pen.

13cm diameter and 16.5cm long

Provenance: Chiswick Auctions, 29 April 2022, lot 92.

Used in astronomical observations and for timekeeping, astrolabes allowed users to chart celestial bodies; determine the direction of Mecca; and navigate. Astrolabe makers were highly skilled craftsmen who often worked closely with scholars and astronomers to achieve the greatest level of precision and detail in their creations. Often, these scientific instruments were engraved not only with celestial markers but also religious inscriptions, demonstrating the dual role these devices played in both practical astronomical navigation and religious observance (e.g. determining prayer times and the direction of Mecca). During the Safavid period, their purpose became even more multi-faceted. In fact, despite their functional purpose, astrolabes and scientific tools became symbols of the cultural advancement promoted by the Persian shahs. As an example of this, the renowned Safavid astrolabe made by Muhammad Muqim al-Yazdi in 1647 - 48 AD, created for the Safavid ruler Shah Abbas Il, acts as both an utilitarian instrument, as well as a work of art and reminder of the degree of excellency strived for at the Safavid court.