The Sloane Astrolabe

This English astrolabe (c. 1300) is the earliest and largest surviving example from the medieval period. Its engraved scales and rotating components reflect sophisticated knowledge of Arabic astronomy and instrument design, used for timekeeping and determining latitude. Inscriptions name St Dunstan, St Augustine of Canterbury, and St Edmund, while the back carries mythical animals and foliate scrolls that link precise science with devotional and decorative concerns.