17th-Century Mughal Astrolabe Could Break Auction Record at Sotheby's

On April 29, Sotheby's London will auction a unique Mughal astrolabe dating back to 1612, which weighs approximately 20 pounds and is the size of a large cooking pot. It is estimated to fetch between £1.5 million and £2.5 million ($2 million to $3.4 million). This remarkable piece was created by brothers Qa'im Muhammad and Muhammad Muqim, from a workshop established by the royal astronomer of Humayun, and is one of only two known astrolabes by them; the other resides in the National Museum of Iraq. The astrolabe, commissioned by Aqa Afzal, a deputy governor of Lahore, was previously owned by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur. It features intricate floral star pointers and lists the longitudes and latitudes of 94 cities, alongside 38 major stars and the 12 zodiac signs. The current record for an astrolabe at auction stands at just under £1 million ($1.4 million) for a 15th-century Ottoman example sold in 2014. During Emperor Jahangir's reign, the Mughal empire experienced a golden age, with Lahore emerging as a hub for astrolabe production that fused Islamic and Sanskritic techniques.