Multilingual astrolabe from Spain
Type:
Astronomical instruments
Date:
Fourteenth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Spain
Dimensions:
13.5 cm
Description:
A bronze astrolabe with inscriptions in Latin, Arabic, and Hebrew attests to the multiple faiths of its owners in fourteenth-century southern Spain. The original expert astrolabe maker was probably a Christian in Toledo, who labeled salient features in Latin. Next, a man named Mas'ud added inscriptions in Arabic, inlaid in small silver panels on the back, as well as a circular plate to calculate time in Algiers. Finally, a Jewish owner roughly incised additional latitudes in Hebrew. These multiple owners employed the device to observe the heavenly bodies, deducing times and distances based on their relative positions at a specific latitude.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
10
Repository and Online Resources:
• This astrolabe is in the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto.
Image Credits:
Aga Khan Museum; Linda Safran
