Harvard Art Museums > 1958.135: Astrolabe Measuring Devices Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Astrolabe , 1958.135,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Nov 21, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/216170. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1958.135 Title Astrolabe Classification Measuring Devices Work Type astrolabe Date 18th-19th century Places Creation Place: Middle East, Iran Period Zand period to early Qajar period Culture Persian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/216170 Physical Descriptions Medium Brass Dimensions max. H. with ring: 13.8 x 8.5 x 1.4 cm (5 7/16 x 3 3/8 x 9/16 in.) Inscriptions and Marks Signed: Shaykh Muhammad Araghi Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Alpheus Hyatt Purchasing Fund Accession Year 1958 Object Number 1958.135 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description This astrolabe has a number of defects which prevent it from being a useful scientific instrument. The workmanship, though, is very good, so this was probably one of the many astrolabes made during the 18-19th century in Iran as decorative objects. Contemporary European travellers to Iran wrote about the craze for owning astrolabes, even amongst those who had no idea how they worked. Such a craze inevitably resulted in such attractive but non-functional objects as this one. (Notes from the Glory and Prosperity exhibition, Feb - June 2002.) Publication History Owen Gingerich, "Rara Astronomica", Harvard Library Bulletin, ed. E. E. Williams, Harvard University Library (Cambridge, MA, April 1971), vol. XIX, no. 2, pp138, no. 66 Exhibition History The Heavenly Court: Persian Poetry and Painting, Harvard University Art Museums, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 02/09/1985 - 03/31/1985 Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
