Sotheby's auctions 17th Century Jaipur royal astrolabe for estimated £1.5-2.5 million
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Apr 25
Sotheby's auctions 17th Century Jaipur royal astrolabe for estimated £1.5-2.5 million
6 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Apr 25
The massive brass astrolabe, weighing 8.2kg and measuring nearly 30cm in diameter, will be auctioned in London on 29 April and has never been exhibited before.
Created in early 17th Century Lahore by brothers Qa'im Muhammad and Muhammad Muqim for Mughal nobleman Aqa Afzal, the instrument features 94 inscribed cities, 38 star pointers, and cross-cultural Persian-Sanskrit markings.
Praised for its technical precision and artistic beauty, the astrolabe reflects the Mughal court's scientific interests and is expected to attract major interest from museums and collectors due to its royal provenance and pristine condition.
Why is a 17th-century scientific tool expected to shatter auction records in London this week?
Was this royal astrolabe more a tool for science or a symbol of power and superstition?
What forgotten knowledge of the cosmos is hidden within this 400-year-old Mughal device?
If this astrolabe was a 17th-century smartphone, what were its most powerful 'apps'?
Will India or Pakistan try to reclaim this £2.5 million 'supercomputer' before its auction?