Bras armillary astrolabe, 1661.

This armillary astrolabe was made by Pierre Sevin of Paris, France and is mounted in armillary rings which allow for worldwide use. An astrolabe is in esence a model of the universe that an astronomer could hold in their hands. From its origins in the Ancient World, Islamic astronomers developed the astrolabe and its use spread. Popular in Medieval and Renaisance Europe, its many uses included timekeeping, astrology and surveying. The two-dimensional depiction of the heavens used on this instrument is achieved using universal projection rather than the stereographic technique more usually found on astrolabes.