ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

Kangxi's Astronomical Realia: Revisiting Ferdinand Verbiest’s Simplified Planar Instrument 簡平儀

• In Event: Contested Success and Celebrated Failure: The Practice of Mathematical Instruments in Varied Settings I

English Abstract

During his instruction of the Kangxi Emperor in European science and technology, the Jesuit missionary Ferdinand Verbiest carefully designed and constructed a uniquely styled astronomical instrument known as the Simplified Planar Instrument (Jianpingyi 簡平儀). This presentation examines three extant examples of the instrument—currently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Paris Observatory library—alongside relevant historical documents, to clarify and analyze its European origin, namely the Planiglobium coeleste designed by Isaac Habrecht II. The study explores Verbiest’s design and production process in detail, showing that the instrument was not a direct replica of its European prototype, but was instead modified in accordance with China's specific conditions and needs. In addition to incorporating Chinese constellations, lunar months, the twelve stations ( shierci 十二次), and indigenous time systems, Verbiest also adopted the instrument's structure to improve portability and usability, thereby creating a distinctively localized version of the instrument. This process of localization reflects Verbiest’s efforts to adapt European scientific knowledge to Chinese contexts, highlighting the historical significance of Sino-European scientific and technological exchange and integration in the seventeenth century.

Author

• CHEN JI, University of Science and Technology of China