Sloane astrolabe
- Audio guide stop: 126
- Gallery: Room 1
- Made in: England
- Date: 1290-1300
- Object type: astrolabe
- Materials: copper alloy (brass?)
- Museum number: SLMathInstr.54
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is "The Sloane Astrolabe," one of the finest examples of medieval scientific art in the collection. This large brass instrument was made in England around 1290–1300 and was part of Sir Hans Sloane’s vast collection, which formed the British Museum in 1753.
Carefully examine the engraved lines and symbols. The outer ring is marked with degrees from 0° to 360° and is decorated with elegant floral patterns. The intricate rete features stylized star pointers shaped like the head of a dog, with 40 named stars around it. The central area shows the signs of the zodiac, while the reverse contains a detailed calendar and astronomical scales, including space for shadow measurements.
Made for use at latitudes like London and Rome, this astrolabe shows knowledge borrowed from Arabic astronomy. Despite its age, it reveals astonishing precision in both function and design.
See it in person
Sloane astrolabe is on display in Room 1 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 126, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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