17th-century 'supercomputer' from Indian royalty fetches record at auction

The instrument's surface is engraved to compute lunar phases, planetary positions and prayer times. The auction house said its specialists' metallurgical analysis ties the piece to the Mughal-Indian astronomical tradition.

Historians of science note that such instruments combined mathematical, astronomical and religious functions in a single device, and acted as a conduit between the Islamic, Indian and European scientific worlds. The new owner has not been disclosed; several museum collections were said to be among the bidders by phone.

Specialists say the price reflects the steady rise in interest in scientific-history instruments in recent years. If the buyer turns out to be a museum, the artefact could later go on public display as part of a touring exhibition.