A brass astrolabic quadrant, Morocco, dated 1256 AH/1840-41 AD

Astrolabic quadrants were produced as an effective reduction of a conventional astrolabe which were easier and less expensive for craftsmen to produce. They continued to be popular up until the beginning of the twentieth century.

This example represents the flourishing tradition of scientific arts in the Maghrib. Makers of scientific instruments tended to follow the tradition of their masters, leading to a defined, often conservative, aesthetic related to its geographical origin (Maddison and Savage-Smith 1997, p.260). This quadrant, engraved with Andalusian Kufic inscriptions, is comparable to an early nineteenth century example in the History of Science Museum, Oxford (acc. no.1956-127) as well as a later, early twentieth century example in the Khalili Collection (acc. no.SCI41, see Maddison and Savage-Smith 1997, p.265, no.155).