A Mater and Plate from an Unsigned Safavid Astrolabe, Persia, Dated A.H. 1089/A.D. 1678

Fragmentary, patination to surface, as viewed
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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inscriptions
Dated as: sana ghft 'The year ghft (A.H. 1089/A.D. 1678)'

A verse from the Gulistan of Sa'di.

The remains of this little astrolabe are in the tradition of the instruments of 17th-century Isfahan and are possibly to be dated that early, although most of the known productions of that school are signed. A verse from the Gulistan of Sa'di at the bottom of the back states: "The purpose of this engraving is that it should survive us," and at least the mater and one plate have achieved that. The instrument comes in a sachet of purple cloth decorated with numerous curious minuscule arrangements in beige thread. (These are highly reminiscent of the numerical ciphers brought to England from Greece in the 13th century by the monk John of Basingstoke, but this is, of course, a coincidence. Also, they are unrelated to Iranian "tree" letters (khatt-i shajari or khatt-i sarvi). For more, see King, The Ciphers of the Monks, Stuttgart, 2001, pp. 49-90.)

The throne is elegantly decorated with floral reliefs. The mater is engraved with a gazetteer for 31 localities, giving longitude, latitude, and qibla (called inhiraf, that is, the angle between the local meridian and the qibla). The back has a trigonometric quadrant in the upper left, a solar quadrant in the upper right. The latter has curves showing the altitude of the sun throughout the year when it is in the qibla of Isfahan, Shiraz, Herat, Tabriz and Hamadan. Inside the double shadow square is an astrological table of triplicities (muthallathat) of the "lords" (arbab) of day and night. There is a single plate with astrolabic markings for latitude 30° on one side and a set of horizons on the other.