Author
Abdulkarim.
Author Original
عبد الكريم
Publication Date
638/ 1240-41
Publication Place
-
British Museum
Subject
Engraved yellow brass and inlaid with silver and red copper.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع 26.45 سم؛ العرض 19.02 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
1855.7-9.1
Record ID
object;ISL;uk;Mus01;48;ar
Library Location
British Museum
Date
638/ 1240-41
Notes
A circular astrolabe made of yellow brass, with a circular frame and an arabesque ornament at the top. It was connected to a ring from which it could be hung when in use. The astrolabe has been in use since at least the 2nd / 8th century. It is a versatile tool used in many ways, whether to tell the time of day and night, to monitor and determine the distance and height of objects, or to measure height and read horoscopes. To use the astrolabe, the appropriate disc was chosen, inserted into the frame, and the date and time were determined according to the geographical location of the user. The plate bearing the emblems of the zodiac signs on the inner circle and the constellations of the stars on the outer circle helped to give a correct astronomical reading. The name of the craftsman Abd al-Karim appears on the back of the astrolabe, accompanied by the names of the king, al-Mu’izz, and Shihab al-Din. Since there was no ruler holding this title before the year 638/1241, these names most likely represent three different people who may have been They are King Al-Ashraf Musa I, one of the most powerful Ayyubid rulers in the early 7th / 13th century, and Al-Mu'izz, the younger brother of King Al-Ashraf. The third name is that of another younger brother of King Al-Ashraf: King Al-Muzaffar Shihab Al-Din Al-Ghazi, who ruled the city of Mayafarqin in the period 17-645 / 1220-47. It is possible that the three Ayyubid brothers used this craftsman, but the brother who ordered the making of the astrolabe was Shihab al-Din.
Sample Text
Emily Shovelton “Astrolabe” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus01;48;ar
