The first sextant was made in Ray, Iran, by Abu-Mahmud al-Khujandi in 994 AD. The sextant replaced the astrolabe on ships as a navigational instrument.
Sextants were used on ships since the 17th century - just in time to aid the many famous world explorers. They were used on ships to measure the angle of elevation of stars and the sun above the horizon. Sextants were also used to sight the sun at noon and chart the course on the nautical map and find the latitude.
Prominent sextant makers were Lewis Woolf, Duren, G.Heath, Elliot Bros. and many others noted for handcrafted products. These sextants were made of brass, ivory inlay, and ebony that rendered them a lot of strength and durability.
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With three rectangular sunshades and early Vernier scales read from 0 to 20 arc minutes, two peep hole sight with "flap", the earliest types of sextants did not have handles. The tangent screw added to the instrument in the later part of the 18th century allowed for fine tuning the instrument.
With ebony frames and ivory handles, sextants of the bygone eras were a beautiful crafted article. They were made as priceless items with mahogany and ebony cases, clasps in polished brass.
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