European Astrolabes to ca. 1500: An Ordered List

Research on medieval European astrolabes has hitherto been somewhat haphazard. Most pieces are unsigned and undated, many difficult to assign to a specific region. Some early ones cannot be understood without reference to the Islamic tradition from which they derive. What are perhaps the most import...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medieval encounters
Main Author: King, David A. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Brill 2017
In: Medieval encounters
Further subjects:B Astrolabes medieval Europe Destombes Chaucer Fusoris Regiomontanus museums
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Description
Summary:Research on medieval European astrolabes has hitherto been somewhat haphazard. Most pieces are unsigned and undated, many difficult to assign to a specific region. Some early ones cannot be understood without reference to the Islamic tradition from which they derive. What are perhaps the most important pieces from a historical point of view—the earliest-known astrolabe, from 10th-century Catalonia, and the astrolabe made by the leading astronomer of 15th-century Europe, Regiomontanus,—were declared fakes or suspicious before they could be studied seriously. A detailed study of groups of related instruments, for example, those with Hebrew inscriptions, is a most welcome contribution. A survey of the clearly-identifiable astrolabes made in medieval England (or France or Italy) has never been undertaken; maybe this list might encourage somebody willing to learn the language of instruments to undertake such a task.
ISSN:1570-0674
Contains:In: Medieval encounters
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700674-12342251