Celestial Globe
1626-7 (made)
| Place of origin |
For centuries, the astronomers of the Islamic Middle East led the world in their knowledge of the heavens. Astronomical instruments such as globes and astrolabes were produced in large numbers to a very high standard.
Such instruments were used in scientific enquiry, or served religious purposes, such as telling the times of the five daily prayers or establishing the direction of Mecca. They were also used in astrology – to cast horoscopes, for example.
Celestial globes show the heavens from above. Engraved figures represent the constellations inherited from Greek and Roman astronomy. The stand is probably original.
Such instruments were used in scientific enquiry, or served religious purposes, such as telling the times of the five daily prayers or establishing the direction of Mecca. They were also used in astrology – to cast horoscopes, for example.
Celestial globes show the heavens from above. Engraved figures represent the constellations inherited from Greek and Roman astronomy. The stand is probably original.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Cast, engraved. |
| Brief description | Celestial globe on a stand. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Signature and date inscription
|
| Production | Attributed by E. Savage-Smith to Lahore 1626-7 on the grounds of the signature of the maker (Qa'im Muhammad ibn 'Isa ibn Allahdad Lahuri Humayuni) and a date (22nd year of the reign of Jahangir). See References. |
| Summary | For centuries, the astronomers of the Islamic Middle East led the world in their knowledge of the heavens. Astronomical instruments such as globes and astrolabes were produced in large numbers to a very high standard. Such instruments were used in scientific enquiry, or served religious purposes, such as telling the times of the five daily prayers or establishing the direction of Mecca. They were also used in astrology – to cast horoscopes, for example. Celestial globes show the heavens from above. Engraved figures represent the constellations inherited from Greek and Roman astronomy. The stand is probably original. |
| Bibliographic reference | E. Savage-Smith, Islamicate Celestial Globes: Their History, Construction, and Use (Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Press 1985): cat. no. 13; figs. 38 and 42; pp. 38, 96-7, 102-3, 107-8, 136, 149, 151, 159-60, 214, 287 (inscription XIII). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.828PART/1-1928 |
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| Record created | December 17, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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