Hotei Publishing

(0)

[i]

The Astrolabe

An ancient instrument for solving problems of location and distance, as well as time

Astrolábon órganon is the word used in Ptolemaeus Syntaxis 5.1 to describe a form of armillary sphere consisting of both fixed and rotating rings for determining the ecliptic co-ordinates of stars. Also called astrolabe were two-dimensional representations of the celestial sphere: over fixed disks with a representation of the horizon of the earth (in each case for a specific geographic latitude) and its parallels up to the zenith lies a rotating representation of the heavens (called ‘spider’ or ‘net’) with zodiac and indicators for some of the brightest stars. On the back is an indicator (‘alidade’) with visor plates for calculating the height of the stars. The astrolabe allows its user to determine the hours of day and night, the positions of stars, and the height and depth of objects on earth (mountains, buildings, wells). The oldest extant descriptions of the flat, planispheric astrolabe come from Iohannes Philoponus, 6th century AD, and (in Syrian) from Severus Sebokht, c. 660 AD. Indirect references may date back as early as Theon (4th cent.). Between the 8th and the 9th centuries the Arabs appropriated the knowledge of the astrolabe. At the end of the 10th century and again in the 12th century, they passed it on to Western Europe, where astrolabes were constructed up until the 17th cent. Today, one Byzantine astrolabe (from 1062) is extant, as are some 750 Arabic-Islamic astrolabes and approximately the same number of European astrolabes.

This information is abstracted from Brill's New Pauly, the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. For more information see www.brillsnewpauly.com or visit our website catalog: www.brill.nl/bnp
Brill’s New Pauly and the complete original Der Neue Pauly, the recognized standard reference works for students and scholars of the ancient world are also available online. This dual-language edition offers basic and advanced search facilities and is fully browsable. New English translations are added as they become available. See www.paulyonline.brill.nl for more information and a demo version.

Close

Hotei Publishing

Hotei News and Press

New Title: Reading Surimono. The Interplay of Text and Image in Japanese Prints

This full-colour catalogue illustrates and describes some 300 surimono (privately published deluxe Japanese prints) belonging to the Museum of Design in Zurich, which were recently placed on long-term loan to the Museum Rietberg Zurich. Originally bequeathed to the Museum of Design by the Swiss collector Marino Lusy (1880–1954), the collection includes many rare and previously unpublished prints.

This publication coincides with the exhibition Surimono - Die Kunst der Anspielung in japanischen Holzdrucken at the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, Switzerland, held from December 7 2008 up to April 13 2009. Museum Rietberg, Zurich.

You can download the press release for this title here.

Special Offers

Special Anniversary offer

In celebration of Hotei Publishing’s 10th anniversary, it is our pleasure to announce a special discount offer to all subscribers of the Hotei e-bulletin.

To subscribe to our Hotei e-bulletin please go to www.brill.nl/e-bulletins

All Hotei titles will be subject to a 35% discount off the list price for tiltes published up to 2007.

10% discount for all 2008 titles.

This offer runs from: November 1st 2008, up to January 31 2009.

Hotei Titles

A full list of Hotei titles can be found HERE.

Featured Products

New Title: Hiroshige: Shaping the Image of Japan

Hiroshige: Shaping the Image of Japan provides a comprehensive overview of Hiroshige’s work as a woodblock print artist. A lavishly beautiful book, published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Hiroshige’s death, the publication catalogues the landmark 2008 exhibition of his work held at the SieboldHouse Museum in Leiden, from October 31, 2008 up to January 25, 2009.

For the calendar of lectures and events related to this exhibition, please visit the website of the museum.

You can download the press release for this title here.

Hotei Author Index

Hotei author index coming soon!

Hotei's definitive Author Index giving general details, published titles, and current projects, will be available very soon. Please check back for updates.

Media

Kawase Hasui: The Complete Woodblock Prints 2nd edition

Originally published in 2003, this groundbreaking publication on the life and work of Kawase Hasui is now available with a DVD; which includes a 1950s film on the artist and the production of one of his designs and a process book, displaying all stages in the creation of a Japanese woodblock print. Additional designs by Hasui that were not reproduced in the 2003 edition are included, amongst them a collection of first-day covers.

Catalogs and Downloads

Hotei's range can be found in the following catalog. PLease click on the following links.

PDF Version (6Mb)

Flip through version

Hotei's sample pages flip-through

You will need to install Adobe Reader to view these pages. To install Adobe Reader, please click here.

Forthcoming Series

Japanese Visual Culture
http://www.brill.nl/jvcs
(website link not yet active)

Brill's Acquisitions Editor: Inge Klompmakers.

Edited by: John Carpenter (SOAS/University of London; The Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures), Julie Nelson Davis (University of Pennsylvania), Shigeru Oikawa (Nihon Joshi Daigaku), Hans Bjarne Thomsen (University of Zurich), Gennifer Weissenfeld (Duke University).

How to Order

For detailed ordering information, please visit our General Ordering Information page

Links

Sieboldhuis: www.sieboldhuis.org

Information Services

	RSS Feeds
	E-Bulletins
	FPubs
	Downloads