“The Elephant Clock”, Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazar… (1290 AD → 1340 AD) – probably Syria or Iraq [2104×3000]
“The Elephant Clock”, Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazar… (1290 AD → 1340 AD) – probably Syria or Iraq [2104×3000]
Found on [Artifact Guesser](https://artifactguesser.com), an Open Artifact Database with a Time/Location Guessing Game build on top for fun and discovery.
Description:
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.
1 Comment
Found on [Artifact Guesser](https://artifactguesser.com), an Open Artifact Database with a Time/Location Guessing Game build on top for fun and discovery.
Description:
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.
More info, images, a map of that time period, and similar artifacts [here](https://artifactguesser.com/artifacts/664bedd1b1ae9d19c9bc7fb1).
Visit the [Original MET Source](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451402) to see whether its on display, for their history timeline and further essays/resouces on this type of object.