Routledge Astrolabes from Medieval Europe - Variorum Studies

This comprehensive collection brings together eleven landmark studies by David King, a recognised authority on the history of astronomy in Islamic civilisation and medieval astronomical instruments. The volume opens with an examination of medieval instruments as critical historical sources, then progresses through detailed analyses of individual astrolabes from the European Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Each study explores instruments of singular historical significance, including investigations into the origins of the simple universal horary quadrant and the intricate universal horary dial design. King's research illuminates the technical sophistication and astronomical knowledge embedded in these remarkable artefacts, offering scholars and historians valuable insights into medieval scientific achievement, cross-cultural knowledge transfer between Islamic and European traditions, and the evolution of practical astronomical instrumentation during this pivotal period.