Islamic globe

Islamic globe. Astronomical details on the sphere include stars and constellations. The zodiacal figures are engraved with dotted lines, and a total of 74 stars labelled in Arabic. The ecliptic longitudes of eight stars have been determined. By comparing these values for the longitudes with those in the Ptolemaic catalogue for AD 137, and using the Arabic rate of precession, the epoch of the stars has been determined as 1622, with an uncertainty of 24 years. There is no visible seam on this globe, and there are two plugs. This, combined with Mughal iconography and the star positions relative to the equinoxes suggest the globe was made in the Lahore workshop of Diya al-Din Muhammad. For full details about the cartography and construction of this globe please refer to the related publication.

Object Details

ID: GLB0175
Collection: Astronomical and navigational instruments; Charts and maps
Type: Islamic globe
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Unknown
Date made: circa 1622
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection
Measurements: Overall: 225 x 145 mm; Diameter of sphere: 110 mm
Close

Your Request

If an item is shown as “offsite”, please allow eight days for your order to be processed. For further information, please contact Archive staff:

Email:
Tel: (during Library opening hours)

Click “Continue” below to continue processing your order with the Library team.

Continue