Planispheric astrolabe

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A planispheric astrolabe consisting of a  mater , rete , ruler, alidade as well as a pin and wedge (horse) holding all the elements together. The design of the rete is based on the four-leaf clover symbol - the four halves supporting the equator and the ecliptic are spaced along the astrolabe's major axes, one full clover is inside the circle of the ecliptic, and two quarters of the clover provide support for the arc below the ecliptic. The ring of the celestial equator is incomplete and connected to the ecliptic directly by two short crosspieces and indirectly by three halves of clovers. The axis inside the ecliptic is symmetrical in relation to the center and further supported, along with the ecliptic, by a thick crosspiece. There are 21 stars marked on therete by pointers in the form of claws, sharp spikes, and daggers, and three of them also by holes in the rings of the ecliptic and equator. The mater , which is the main part of the astrolabe, was made for the latitude of 50°. It is covered with engraved lines of equal altitudes and curves representing azimuths. The dorsum , or the back part of the mater , contains an altitude scale as well as astrological signs and calendar on the limb. The central section features a double unequal hour scale with unmarked arcs and a double shadow quadrant. The alidade consists of two parallel arms supported in the center by a round element decorated with a five-leaf flower. The ruler and the wedge are secondary. According to the signature available, the astrolabe belonged to Ludolf de Scicte, who was a treasurer of Stiftskirche in Einbeck (“LUDOLFI DE SCICTE THESAUR[ARI] ECCLE[SIE] EMBICEN[SIS]”). The place where the astrolabe was made remains unknown. It is believed to have appeared in Kraków at the end of the 15 th century, when Ludolfus, son of Ludolfus Borchdop de Brunswick, commenced his studies at the University of Kraków in 1485.