17th Century Astrolabe from Jaipur Royal Collection Set for Auction at Sotheby's

A brass astrolabe from the 17th Century, once part of the royal collection in Jaipur, India, is scheduled for auction at Sotheby's in London on April 29, 2026. The item, which has been in a private collection, is noted for its size and has not been displayed publicly before.

Benedict Carter, head of the department of Islamic and Indian Art at Sotheby's, stated to the BBC that it is perhaps the largest astrolabe in existence. The astrolabe was part of the collection of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur and was passed to his wife, Maharani Gayatri Devi, after his death.

It later entered a private collection during her lifetime.

Design Astrolabes are metallic disks with interlocking components used historically to determine time, map stars, indicate the direction of Mecca, and track sky movements. Dr Federica Gigante of the Oxford Centre for History of Science, Medicine and Technology described them as two-dimensional projections of a three-dimensional universe, comparable to modern smartphones for their multifunctional uses, including calculating sunrise and sunset times, building heights, well depths, distances, and, with an almanac, casting horoscopes.

The instrument originated in ancient Greece in the 2nd Century BCE and spread to the Islamic world by the 8th Century, with production centers in Iraq, Iran, North Africa, and al-Andalus in present-day Spain.

Provenance It was created by brothers Qa'im Muhammad and Muhammad Muqim, part of the Lahore School of astrolabe production, for Mughal nobleman Aqa Afzal. Aqa Afzal, originally from Isfahan in Iran, held senior posts under Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan and administered Lahore.

Only two astrolabes are known to have been made jointly by the brothers; the other, smaller one is in a museum in Iraq. It includes star pointers with names in Persian and Sanskrit equivalents in Devanagari script, 94 inscribed cities with longitudes and latitudes, 38 star pointers connected by floral tracery, five precision-calibrated plates, and degree divisions subdivided to a third of a degree.

Carter stated that the craftsmanship reflects the refined state of the Lahore School, combining technical precision, functionality, and artistic elements. Gigante noted its accuracy in measuring celestial body altitudes and compared it to an instrument made for Abbas II of Persia.

estimates the astrolabe will sell for 1.5 to 2.5 million pounds, citing its condition and provenance. The current auction record for an astrolabe is held by one made for Sultan Bayezid II, sold in 2014 for just under 1 million pounds. The item will be exhibited at Sotheby's London galleries from April 24 to 29, 2026.