ID: 700009464 Page link: http://vocab.getty.edu/page/cona/700009464	Record Type: Movable Work
Images: 1

"The Elephant Clock," Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari (detached leaf; illuminator: probably unknown Syrian (active 14th century CE...; dated AH 715 / 1315 CE; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, New York state, U...; 57.51.23)

Note: 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.

Titles:

"The Elephant Clock," Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari (preferred,C,U,RP,English-P,U,U)

Folio from an illustrated manuscript (C,U,PB,undetermined,U,U)

Catalog Level: item

Work Types:

detached leaf [300379890] (preferred)

..... (Objects Facet, Components (hierarchy name), components (objects parts), <components by specific context>, information form components, gathered matter components, leaves (gathered matter))

illumination (painting) [300264522]

..... (Objects Facet, Visual and Verbal Communication (hierarchy name), Visual Works (hierarchy name), visual works (works), <visual works by material or technique>, paintings (visual works), <paintings by location or context>)

folio (leaf) [300189604]

..... (Objects Facet, Components (hierarchy name), components (objects parts), <components by specific context>, information form components, gathered matter components, leaves (gathered matter))

Classifications:

manuscripts (preferred)

Creation Date: dated AH 715 / 1315 CE

Creator Display:

illuminator: probably unknown Syrian (active 14th century CE); author: Mamluk Abu'l Izz Isma'il al-Jazari; illuminator: probably unknown Syrian (active 14th century CE); author: Mamluk Abu'l Izz Isma'il al-Jazari; copyist: Farkh ibn `Abd al-Latif (Syrian, 14th century) [preferred]

illuminators unknown Syrian Islamic (Syrian Islamic cultural designation) Qualifier: probably by [500204327]

author al-Jazari, Badi' al-Zaman ibn al-Razzaz (Muslim scholar, mathematician, 1136–1206) Extent: work depicted [500475824]

calligrapher al-Latif, Farrukh ibn `Abd (Syrian Islamic calligrapher, 14th century) [500475825]

Locations:

Current: Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, New York state, United States) [500125157] Corporate Bodies (Corp. Body)

Repository Numbers: 57.51.23

Credit Line: Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956

Other: Creation: Term Not Found (TGN Candidate) (Geographic)

Display Materials: ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

	gouache (paint) [300070114]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by function>, coating (material), <coating by form>, paint (coating), <paint by composition or origin>, water-base paint)

	gilding (material) [300379350]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by composition>, inorganic material, metal, <metal by form>)

	paper (fiber product) [300014109]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by form>, <materials by physical form>, <fiber and fiber by product>, <fiber by product>)

	ink [300015012]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by function>, coating (material), <coating by form>)

Dimensions: 11 13/16 x 7 3/4in. (30 x 19.7cm); Mat: 19 1/4 x 14 1/4 in. (48.9 x 36.2 cm); Frame: 20 1/4 x 15 1/4 in. (51.4 x 38.7 cm)

Cultures:

Syrian (preferred)

General Subject:

science (preferred,description)

machines and equipment (description)

Specific Subjects:

	mechanical clock [300197847]
	.....(Objects Facet, Furnishings and Equipment (hierarchy name), Measuring Devices (hierarchy name), measuring devices (instruments), <measuring devices for extent>, timepieces, <timepieces by form>, clocks, <clocks by movement>) (AAT)

	Asian elephant (species) [300389773]
	.....(Agents Facet, Living Organisms (hierarchy name), living organisms (entities), Eukaryota (domain), Animalia (kingdom), Chordata (phylum), Vertebrata (subphylum), Mammalia (class), Proboscidea (order), Elephantidae (family), Elephas (genus)) (AAT)

	Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices [901002090]
	.....((Literary works: Scientific, Instructional, Encyclopedia, Named written and performed works, Literature and Performing Arts)) (ICON)

Provenance: Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ (by 1932–d. 1956; bequeathed to MMA)

Inscriptions: Inscription: At lower left in Arabic in naskhi script: الفصل الثاني صح فصل The second chapter is the correct chapter

List/Hierarchical Position:

..... Movable Works

.......... Movable Works by class: drawings, paintings, prints, other two-dimensional media

Sources and Contributors:
"The Elephant Clock," Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari	........ [VP]
	........ Metropolitan Museum of Art [online] (2001-)
Folio from an illustrated manuscript	........ [VP]
	........ Metropolitan Museum of Art [online] (2001-)

Subject: ....... [VP]

Note:
English	..... [VP]
	..... Metropolitan Museum of Art [online] (2001-) accessed 21 June 2018