Ancient Stargazing Marvel Seeks $1.1 Million at Auction
This exceptionally rare, gilt brass astrolabe helped orient travelers toward Mecca.
Photo Illustration: Christina Poku; Astrolabe: Michael Bowles/Sotheby’s
Well before sextants were invented, people across the medieval world used astrolabes to calculate the altitude of a star above the horizon. (Christopher Columbus apparently carried one when he crossed the Atlantic.) It had both practical and religious applications: Muslims used the thin, disclike objects to determine the direction of Mecca. This particular gilt-brass example was probably used for the latter purpose. The letters are written in Kufic, a type of Arab script, and the exquisite, intricate case bears the signature of a Muslim craftsman from northern Spain. The work is expected to sell for £600,000 to £800,000 ($835,000 to $1.1 million) at a Sotheby’s London auction on March 31.
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