Elephant Clock
Overview and Issues
[edit | edit source]The story behind the amazing Elephant Clock.
Abstract
[edit | edit source]In SOTR the Emperor presents Nicholas with a manuscript by the 12th-century inventor al-Jazari: this would have been his 'Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices'. In it al-Jazari gives detailed instructions for the construction of 50 machines and devices, including the famous Elephant Clock, which Nicholas then manages to reproduce for the Emperor. The author discovered that a full-scale replica has been built for the Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai in 2005. The 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.
Author
[edit | edit source]Dunnett Book References
[edit | edit source]People
[edit | edit source]Fictional Character
[edit | edit source]- Violante
- Nicholas van der Pole
Locations
[edit | edit source]Literature
[edit | edit source]- 'Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices' by al-Jazari.
Illustrations
[edit | edit source]- "The Elephant Clock", Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari
dated A.H. 715/ A.D. 1315. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451402
Historical Events
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Other References
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Quotes from Dunnett
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