The travels of an astrolabe: Persia to Afghanistan
Dr Sumner Braund follows the Shah Abbas II astrolabe over two centuries from its origins in the Safavid court of the mid-1600s to its extraction from Bala Hissar in Kabul.
Dr Sumner Braund continues her exploration of the Islamic instruments in our founding collection, confronting the impact of European colonialism on how we tell their stories.
Museum Director Dr Silke Ackermann discusses the boy in the Chardin portrait and reflects on what it means to be a meeting point for people, science, art and belief.
