This is a typical astrolabe of the Louvain School and it closely follows the examples of Gualterus Arsenius (circa 1530-80), who was the most prestigious proponent of that School in the third quarter of the 16th century. It was probably manufactured by Adrian Descrolières who seems to have been a pupil of Arsenius. This attribution is made on stylistic grounds, based on the form of his engraving, which he modelled after Arsenius, though without ever reaching the same degree of refinement. Inscriptions on some of Descrolières's instruments allow us to determine that he was in Northern Italy between 1571-79 and it is possible that he made this astrolabe while there. To date, nine astrolabes by Descrolières have been recorded, three of which - including this one - are without signatures.

The throne comprises a central shield flanked by two reclining satyrs. Inside the shield, there is space for a compass (now lost) and, above it, there is a rotating roundrel, which is surmounted by an interlaced strap that incorporates the shackle that holds the suspension ring. The rete has a 'tulip-design', which is characteristic of Arsenius's dials made between 1567-68. On the back of the instrument is a universal stereographic projection.

Interestingly, all the star pointers on the rete of this instrument have been bent. This would have been to account for the movement of stars in relation to each other over long periods of time - gradually, over time, the rete of an astrolabe becomes out of date. The star pointers here have been bent to allow the instrument to continue to be useful over 100 years after it was made. While the date this astrolabe was made was around 1575 the stellar date (the date determined by where the stars where in relation to one another and the co-ordinate system) is around 1700.