Description:

A BRASS ASTROLABIC QUADRANT, MOROCCO, DATED 1719 AD
Morocco, dated 1132 AH / 1719 AD

Description:
An exceptionally well-preserved and finely engraved brass astrolabic quadrant, this scientific instrument represents the pinnacle of Maghribi craftsmanship in the field of mathematical astronomy during the early 18th century. Formed as a quarter-circle sector, it features a stereographic projection on the plane of the equator—a practical simplification of the full astrolabe—allowing users to calculate altitude, azimuth, and prayer times with a compact and portable device. The quadrant is meticulously inscribed with a network of hour lines, declination arcs, azimuth circles, altitude scales, and star positions, all carefully laid out with remarkable precision.

The inscriptions are executed in elegant Andalusian Kufic script, a distinctive regional style that reflects the influence of earlier Andalusian scientific traditions carried into Morocco after the fall of al-Andalus. At the heart of the instrument lies a dedication and dating inscription, attesting to its production in the year 1132 AH (1719 AD). The quadrant’s surfaces are crisply engraved and well-articulated, suggesting it was produced in a highly specialised workshop, possibly under royal or scholarly patronage.

The quadrant lacks a plumb bob and sighting pin, though the holes for attachment remain intact. These elements would have enabled vertical orientation for angular readings, supporting its original function as a practical observational tool.

Dimensions: 13.5 x 12cm

Comparable examples:

  • A comparable North African brass astrolabic quadrant dated 18th century sold at Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 26 October 2021, Lot 102, for £11,500.

  • A brass quadrant with stereographic projection and similar script sold at Christie’s, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 25 October 2018, Lot 113, for £9,375.

  • An engraved Maghribi quadrant dated 1720 AD sold at Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, 27 April 2022, Lot 79, for £10,000.

Note:
Astrolabic quadrants such as this were central to the intellectual life of the Islamic world, used by astronomers, mathematicians, and religious scholars alike. In Morocco, where Andalusian scientific traditions remained strong, these instruments served as vital tools for astronomical observation, qibla determination, and timekeeping for religious observance. The quadrant’s Andalusian Kufic inscriptions reflect a conservative epigraphic style, anchoring it within a distinctly North African aesthetic lineage. It stands not only as a rare scientific device but also as a symbol of continuity in Islamic mathematical and cosmological thought.

 


Provenance: Property of a French Private Collection formed in the 1970's 

Catalogue note:

Astrolabic quadrants were produced as an effective reduction of a conventional astrolabe which were easier and less expensive for craftsmen to produce. They continued to be popular up until the beginning of the twentieth century.

This example represents the flourishing tradition of scientific arts in the Maghrib. Makers of scientific instruments tended to follow the tradition of their masters, leading to a defined, often conservative, aesthetic related to its geographical origin (Maddison and Savage-Smith 1997, p.260). This quadrant, engraved with Andalusian Kufic inscriptions, is comparable to an early nineteenth century example in the History of Science Museum, Oxford (acc. no.1956-127) as well as a later, early twentieth century example in the Khalili Collection (acc. no.SCI41, see Maddison and Savage-Smith 1997, p.265, no.155).

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