astrolabe

Rare 17th-Century Royal Astrolabe From Jaipur Collection to Fetch £1.5-2.5m at Sotheby's Auction

A 17th-century brass astrolabe from the royal collection of Jaipur, described as perhaps the largest in existence, will be auctioned at Sotheby's London on 29 April. Created in Lahore by brothers Qa'im Muhammad and Muhammad Muqim for Mughal nobleman Aqa Afzal, the 8.2kg instrument features 94 cities, 38 star pointers and unprecedented precision. Estimated at £1.5-2.5m, it was part of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II's collection before passing to Maharani Gayatri Devi.