"The Elephant Clock", Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari

Badi' al-Zaman ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari|Farrukh ibn `Abd al-Latif

dated A.H. 715/1315 CE · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

"The Elephant Clock", Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari — Badi' al-Zaman ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari|Farrukh ibn `Abd al-Latif

This page comes from a treatise on fantastic devices invented by the author al‑Jazari. His elephant clock was especially intricate: every half hour, the bird on the dome whistled; the man below dropped a ball into the dragon’s mouth; and the driver hit the elephant with his goad. While illustrated manuscripts were growing increasingly popular at the time, this folio is a rare survival from Syria, where few such manuscripts are known from this date.

Artist: Badi' al-Zaman ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari|Farrukh ibn `Abd al-Latif
Date: dated A.H. 715/1315 CE
Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Department: Islamic Art
Credit line: Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956

"The Elephant Clock", Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari

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