Folio from Kitab fi ma'arifat al-hiyal al-handisaya (The book of knowledge of ingenious mechanical devices) Automata by al-Jazari (died 1206); recto: text; verso: text and illustration: The water clock of the drummers

Object Details

• Calligrapher

  Farruq ibn Abd al-Latif

• Description

  Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Kitab fi ma'arifat al-hiyal al-handisaya (The book of knowledge of ingenious mechanical devices), "Automata," by al-Jazari; text: Arabic in black naskh script; recto: text, 20 lines; verso: illustration and text: The water clock of the drummers, 3 lines; one of a group of 8 folios.

• Provenance

  To 1942

  Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc., New York to 1942 [1]

  From 1942

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc. in 1942 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See Freer Gallery or Art Purchase List after 1920, Collections Management Office.

  [2] See note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)

  Art of the Mamluks (May 14, 1981 to May 25, 1982)

  Art of the Arab World (August 15, 1980 to May 13, 1981)

  Art of the Arab World (May 8, 1975 to August 20, 1977)

  Near Eastern Art—Paintings, Metalwork (August 18, 1967 to February 10, 1972)

  Near Eastern Art (January 1, 1963 to August 18, 1967)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 6 and 7 (February 25, 1956 to April 10, 1962)

  Untitled Exhibition, Persian Manuscripts (May 5, 1933 to September 22, 1947)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc.

• Origin

  Probably Syria

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Manuscript

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc.

• Topic

  Horn, Art, Mamluk period (1250 - 1517), Automata, Arts of the Islamic World, Water clock

• Culture

  Muslims, Syrians

• Language

  Naskh script

• Object Type

  Manuscripts