The Important Stars Among the Multitude of The Heavens
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.The science of astronomy has deep roots in Islamic scholarship. As early as the ninth century thinkers such as Ahmad ibn Mohammad ibn Kathir al-Farghani’ (d. 861) enhanced mathematical models of the cosmos, using improved instruments, and also revised the Ptolemaic system. This astronomical instructional text features a diagram that illustrates the rotation of the heavens. It was used as a guide for tracking the movement of the stars in order to determine the beginning of the seasons as well as decipher horoscopes.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Important Stars Among the Multitude of The Heavens
- Date: 1733
- Geography: Mali, Timbuktu
- Medium: Manuscript on paper
- Dimensions: H. 8 1/4 × W. 6 11/16 in. (21 × 17 cm)
- Classifications: Paper-Documents, Manuscripts
- Credit Line: Mamma Haidara Memorial Library, Timbuktu, Mali (2248)
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing