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Massive astrolabe from Jaipur's royal collection to be auctioned
A 400-year-old brass astrolabe, once owned by Jaipur's royal family, will be sold at Sotheby's London on 29 April. Described as possibly the largest surviving example, the instrument has never been publicly displayed.
Royal provenance and craftsmanship
The astrolabe was part of the collection of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur before passing to his wife, Maharani Gayatri Devi, a prominent figure of her era. It later entered a private collection during her lifetime.
Created in Lahore-now in Pakistan-during the early 1600s, the piece was crafted by brothers Qa'im Muhammad and Muhammad Muqim, members of the esteemed "Lahore School" of astrolabe makers. The craft was traditionally kept within a single family and handed down through generations.
Design and historical significance
Astrolabes, often called early astronomical computers, were used to track time, map stars, determine the direction of Mecca, and predict celestial movements. Dr Federica Gigante of the Oxford Centre for History of Science, Medicine and Technology likened them to "modern-day smartphones" due to their versatility.
"You can calculate the time of sunset, sunrise, the height of a building, the depth of a well, distance, and even use them to predict the future. Along with an almanac, they were once used to cast horoscopes."
Dr Federica Gigante
This particular astrolabe weighs 8.2kg, measures nearly 30cm in diameter, and stands 46cm tall-almost four times larger than typical 17th-century Indian examples. It features 94 inscribed cities with their longitudes and latitudes, 38 star pointers, and five precision-calibrated plates with degree divisions refined to a third of a degree.
A unique cross-cultural detail includes star names in Persian alongside Sanskrit equivalents in Devanagari script. The instrument was commissioned by Aqa Afzal, a nobleman from Isfahan who administered Lahore under Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
Scientific legacy of the Mughal court
The astrolabe reflects the Mughal court's fascination with astronomy and astrology. Benedict Carter of Sotheby's noted that the Lahore School's work combined technical precision, functionality, and artistic beauty, setting it apart from earlier Middle Eastern astrolabes that prioritised utility over aesthetics.
Dr Gigante highlighted its accuracy, stating it could determine the exact altitude of celestial bodies. She compared it to an instrument made for Abbas II of Persia, suggesting it as one of the few of its kind.
Auction details and expectations
Sotheby's expects strong interest from museums and collectors, with an estimated sale price of £1.5-2.5 million. The current record for an astrolabe is just under £1 million, set in 2014 by a smaller Ottoman piece made for Sultan Bayezid II.
The astrolabe will be on public display at Sotheby's London galleries from 24 to 29 April before the auction.
