the book of knowledge of ingenious mechanical …978-94-010-2573...modem works on al-jazari 5....

The Book of Knowledge

of Ingenious

Mechanical Devices

The Book of Knowledge

of Ingenious

Mechanical Devices ( Kitiib ji ma <rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya)

by

Ibn al-Razzaz aI-Jazar!

D. Reidel Publishing Company Dordrecht-Holland / Boston-U.S.A.

Translated and annotated

by

Donald R. Hill Chartered Engineer, B.Sc., M.Litt., Ph.D.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 72-92529

ISBN-13: 978-94-010-2575-1 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-010-2573-7 DOl: 10.1007/978-94-010-2573-7

Published by D. Reidel Publishing Company P.O. Box 17, Dordrecht, Holland

Sold and distributed in the U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Inc. 306 Dartmouth Street, Boston, Mass. 02116, U.S.A.

All Rights Reserved Copyright © 1974 by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1974 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher

To my dear wife Pat whose constant encouragement and support made this undertaking possible

CONTENTS

Foreword by Professor Lynn White Jr. Preface and Acknowledgements List of Illustrations

PART I Introduction

1. Al-JazarI - his life and environment 2. The Manuscripts 3. Translation and Illustrations 4. Modem works on al-JazarI 5. Islamic technology up to al-JazarI

The Banu Musa 'Archimedes' Al-KhuwarizmI Ridwan

6. Arabic translations of earlier works

PART II The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices AI-Jazarl's complete work translated into English, together with reproductions of all the original illustrations

Al-JazarI's Introduction

CATEGORY I - Clocks Chapter 1 The castle water-clock

XIII

xv XVII

3 3 6 7 8 9

10 10 11

11

15

17 17

Section 1 Introduction; its appearance and method of working 17 Section 2 The water reservoir 20 Section 3 Construction of the flow regulator 21 Section 4 Installation of the instruments 23 Section 5 Division of the circle for the outflow of water 24 Section 6 On the place in which the apparatus is installed and the functioning

of its instruments 26 Section 7 On the means for imparting motion to all the things mentioned so

~ n Section 8 On the means for imparting movements to the hands of the drum-

mers and the cymbalist, and the sound for the trumpeters 32 Section 9 Construction of the spheres of the zodiac, the sun, and the moon 35 Section lOOn the place where the spheres are erected, and their functioning 40

Chapter 2 The water-clock of the drummers 42 Section 1 Its outside appearance and operation 42 Section 2 ,On the water-instruments, and the functioning of the bucket which

fills and empties every hour 44 Section 3 Operation of the time-recording devices 44 Section 4 On the construction of the men 46 Section 5 On the means for imparting motion to the hands of the drummers

and cymbalists, and the instrument from which the sound of the trumpeters issues 46

Chapter 3 The water-clock of the boat 51 Section 1 On its outside appearance and functioning 51 Section 2 On the construction of the boat, the dome, the stanchions and the

serpent, the castle and the cupola 53 Section 3 On the construction of the equipment which is inside the trough 54 Section 4 On the construction of the scribe and what is connected to him 55

VIII CONTENTS

Section 5 On the construction of the falcon, the place for the balls in the castle, and the channel for discharging each ball into the falcon's head 56

Section 6 On the connection of the chain on the float to the emplacement of the balls, the fixing of the mouthpiece to the hole in the float. The completion of the water-clock and its method of operation 56

Chapter 4 The elephant water-clock 58 Section 1 Its outside appearance 58 Section 2 On what is seen from the working of this clock 59 Section 3 Construction of the elephant and the dais 60 Section 4 On what is fitted inside the elephant, and its method of operation 60 Section 5 On the construction of the dome above the floor of the dais, the

platform above the dome, the scribe above the platform and his movement 61

Section 6 On the construction of the mahout and that which moves his hands 62 Section 7 On the construction of the four pillars 62 Section 8 On the construction of the castle 63 Section 9 On the construction of the channel in which the balls move 63 Section 10 Construction of the trough into which the balls fall 64 Section 11 Construction of the ring, which is half white and half black, and

which covers the apertures; construction of its movement; construction of the wheel upon which the bird on the castle's dome rotates; completion of the channel for the balls 65

Section 12 Construction of the balcony and the man sitting thereon 67 Section 13 Construction of the two serpents upon an axle 68 Section 14 Construction of the instrument which whistles 68 Section 15 On the construction of the two vases on the shoulders of the ele-

phant, the hanging cymbal, and the preparation of the water-clock 69 Chapter 5 The beaker water-clock 71

Section 1 Its outside appearance and function 71 Section 2 Construction of the lid for the beaker, and the movement for the

scribe 71 Section 3 Construction of the scribe 72

Chapter 6 The water-clock of the peacocks 75 Section 1 Description of the exterior of the clock and its operation 75 Section 2 On the construction of the water apparatus 76 Section 3 On the construction of the peacock and the movement which causes

him to make a display every half hour 76 Section 4 On the construction of the two chicks 78 Section 5 On the construction of the peahen 79 Section 6 On the construction of the roundels 80

Chapter 7 The candle-clock of the swordsman 83 Section 1 Introduction; its appearance and working principle 83 Section 2 On the construction of the channel which carries the balls and of the

falcon 84 Section 3 On the construction of the bracket, of the slave, and of the move-

ment for the sword-hand 85 Chapter 8 The candle-clock of the scribe 87

Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 87 Section 2 On the construction of the sheath, the weight, and the place for

the balls 87 Section 3 On the construction of the scribe 88

Chapter 9 The monkey candle-clock 90 Section I Description of the outside of the clock and its functioning 90 Section 2 On the construction of the monkey's keeper and the post and the

lifting. mechanism 90 Cha_pter 10 The candle-clock of the doors 92

Section I Its outside appearance and functioning 92 Section 2 On the construction of the doors and the figures which emerge from

the doors 92

CATEGORY II - Vessels and figures suitable for drinking sessions 95 Chapter 1 A goblet which arbitrates at drinking parties 95

CONTENTS

Section 1 Description of the goblet and its functioning 95 Section 2 Construction of the goblet and its mechanisms 95

Chapter 2 A goblet which arbitrates at drinking parties 98 Chapter 3 An arbiter for drinking parties (the castle wine dispenser) 99

Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 99 Section 2 On the construction of the dais and the columns on it; the slave-girl,

her hand, the bottle and the goblet 100 Section 3 Construction of the shells of the two castles, the dancer, the man in

the second castle, the horseman and the horse 101 Section 4 Construction of the wine reservoir and its float, which moves the

standing man; and the door leaves; construction of the tippingbucket into which the wine discharges; of the mechanisms for the horse and rider, the dancer, and the hands of the slave-girls 102

Section 5 On the construction of the flute and the production of the sound from the sleeve of the flute-player 105

Chapter 4 A boat which is placed on a pool during a drinking party 107 Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 107 Section 2 Construction of the boat and the water-instruments fitted in the

boat for producing the movements of the slave-girls' hands and the sound of the flute 108

Section 3 Construction of the slave-girls on top of the platform, and the move-ments for their hands 108

Chapter 5 A pitcher for dispensing different liquids 110 Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 110 Section 2 Construction of the pitcher 111 Section 3 Construction of the valve 113

Chapter 6 The figure of a boon-companion who drinks the king's leavings 115 Section 1 Its outside appearance and purpose 115 Section 2 Construction of the boon-companion 115

Chapter 7 A standing slave holding a fish and a goblet 118 Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 118 Section 2 On the construction of the figure 118 Section 3 Construction of the slave's hands and their mechanism, of the fish,

and of the palm of the slave's hand 119 Chapter 8 A man holding a goblet and a bottle 120

Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 120 Section 2 Construction of the left hand holding the bottle, of the wine reser-

voir and the tipping-bucket 120 Chapter 9 A dais upon which are two shaykhs, each holding a goblet and a bottle 122

Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 122 Section 2 Construction of the reservoir for the water, and its discharge 122

Chapter 10 A slave-girl who emerges from a cupboard at intervals, holding a glass which contains wine 125 Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 125 Section 2 On the construction of the slave-girl's hand and its mechanism,

the wine reservoir, the tipping-bucket and its trough 125

CATEGORY III - Pitchers, basins and other things (for handwashing and phlebotomy) 127 Chapter 1 A pitcher from which hot water, cold water and mixed water is poured 127

Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 127 Section 2 Construction of the deflector which discharges water into the two

chambers; completion of the pitcher 128 Chapter 2 A pitcher which dispenses water for the king to perform his ritual ablutions 130

Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 130 Section 2 On the construction of the pitcher's cover 131

Chapter 3 A slave who pours water over the king's hands 133 Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 133 Section 2 On the construction of the reservoir for the water, its outlet, and the

left hand 133 Chapter 4 A peacock which discharges water from its beak 136 Chapter 5 The basin of the monk, from whIch can be told the quantity of blood which

falls into it 137

IX

x CONTENTS

Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 137 Section 2 On the construction of the apparatus which conducts the blood

from the basin,and that which turns the monk 137 Chapter 6 The basin of the two scribes for blood-letting 140

Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 140 Section 2 The mechanisms for the scribes 141

Chapter 7 The basin of the reckoner for blood-letting 143 Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 143 Section 2 On the construction of the fort, the man, the mechanism for his

right hand, and for the indication of the divisions 143 Chapter 8 The basin of the castle from which the amount of blood collected therein can

be ascertained 146 Section 1 The outside appearance of the basin, its contents, and its function-

ing 1~

Section 2 Construction of the six pillars and the castle on top of them 146 Chapter 9 The basin of the peacock for washing the hands 149

Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning 149 Section 2 Construction of the basin, the four pillars, the castle on top of them

with the two doors in its front, and the two slaves 149 Section 3 Construction of the basin 150 Section 4 Construction of the peacock and what is connected to it 150

Chapter 10 The basin of the slave 153 Section 1 Its outside appearance and functioning, and the construction of the

dais and the slave 153 Section 2 Construction of the basin and its contents 154

CATEGORY IV - Fountains and perpetual flutes 157 Introduction, on fountains 157 Chapter 1 Fountain of the two tipping-buckets 157

Section 1 Description of its construction 157 Section 2 Its operation 158

Chapter 2 Two fountains and two tipping-buckets, with four outlets 159 Chapter 3 Fountain of the two floats 160

Section 1 Construction of main equipment 160 Section 2 Valve lifting and closing mechanisms 160

Chapter 4 Two fountains of the two floats 162 Chapter 5 The fountain of the bowl 164

Section 1 Construction of the fountain Section 2 Construction (continued); operation

Chapter 6 Fountain of the two tipping-buckets (with valves) Section 1 Construction of the fountain Section 2 Construction of the cylinder like a balance for opening and closing

164 164 166 166

the valves 167 Section 3 Construction of the outlet for the water into the funnel, and of the

two tipping-buckets into which the water falls 167 Chapter 7 Instrument for perpetual flute, with two spheres 170 Chapter 8 Instrument for perpetual flute, with two tipping-buckets 172 Chapter 9 Instrument for perpetual flute, with a balance 174 Chapter 10 Instrument for perpetual flute with two floats 176

CATEGORY V - Machinesfor raising water 179 Chapter 1 A machine for raising water from a pool to a higher place by an animal who

turns a lever-arm 179 Chapter 2 A machine forraising water from a pool or a well by an animal who rotates it 180 Chapter 3 A machine for raising water by means of an endless chain of pots 182

Section 1 Description of the pool and its contents 182 Section 2 Its construction 182

Chapter 4 A machine for raising water from a pool (by means of a flumed swape operated by a crank driven, through gears, by an animal) 184

Chapter 5 Pump driven by a water-wheel 186 Section 1 Description of first version; description of second version, in-

cluding internals of pump-box 186

Section 2 Construction of cylinders, valves, suction and delivery pipes Section 3 Construction of paddle-wheel and cogwheel; assembly of the

machine and its operation

CATEGORY VI - Miscellaneous Chapter 1 A door of cast brass for the king's palace at Amid

Section 1 Its outside appearance Section 2 Construction of the lattice-work Section 3 Manufacture of the border from brass and red copper

Chapter 2 A protractor Section 1 On the purpose of the instrument and its construction Section 2 Use of the instrument for determining centre-points Section 3 Use of the instrument for setting out different angles

Chapter 3 A lock for locking a chest by means of 12 letters of the alphabet Section 1 The combination locks Section 2 Mechanisms inside the lid; the latch

Chapter 4 Four bolts on the back of a door

CONTENTS

187

188

191 191 191 192 194 196 196 197 197 199 199 200 202

Section 1 The appearance of the bolts and their functioning 202 Section 2 Manufacture of the pulley (cogwheel) which opens and closes the

bolts 202 Chapter 5 A boat clock 204 Concluding passage to the Oxford Graves 27 manuscript 206

PARTIII Notes

Transliteration of Arabic letters; numerical equivalents of Arabic letters Explanatory Notes, chapter by chapter

Category I Chapter 1 Page 241 Category III Chapter 5 2 246 6 3 247 7 4 247 8 5 250 9 6 251 10 7 252 IV 8 253 2 9 254 3

10 254 4 II 1&2 255 5

3 255 6 4 256 7-10 5 256 V 6 257 2 7 257 3 8 257 4 9 257 5

10 258 VI 1 III 1 259 2

2 260 3 3 260 4 4 260 5

240 241

Page' 260 261 261 262 262 262 263 263 263 263 263 264 264 265 265 265 265 266 267 268 268 270 270

General Notes - including a brief survey of the historical background to al-Jazari's devices and their component parts 271 Category I Clocks 271 Categories II and III Vessels and Measuring Basins 272 Category IV Fountains and Perpetual Flutes 272 Category V Water Lifting Devices 273 Category VI Miscellaneous 274

Chapter 1 The Palace Door; Casting techniques 274 Chapter 2 The protractor . 274 Chapters 3 and 4 The locks 274

XI

XII CONTENTS

Chapter 5 The boat clock 274 Individual Components 274 1. Wheels, axles and bearings 274 2. Water Equipment 276 3. Vessels and their fittings 277 4. Miscellaneous parts and fittings; materials 277 5. Weights and measures 278

Conclusion (Including an assessment of al-Jazarl's achievement and a discussion of his methods of presentation) 279

Bibliography 281

Index 283

FOREWORD

To judge by the dictum of al-Ja~i?: (d. A.D. 869), 'Wisdom has descended upon these three: the brain of the Byzantine, the hands of the Chinese, and the tongue of the Arab', in the great age of the <Abbasids the subjects of the Caliph felt no special competence in technology. By the later thirteenth century, however, Yuan China was learning from Muslim engineers. Can it be that during the intervening four hundred years there was technological advance in Islam? If so, how much of it was generated internally, and how much depended on borrowings from China, South Asia, the medieval Greeks and the Franks? What aspects of the mechanic arts flourished, what were neglected, and - in each instance - why was this the case? How was engineering integrated with, or isolated from, other aspects of Muslim culture?

The topic is full of enigmas. Why, for example, having taken over papermaking from the Chinese, did Islam - which used waterpower for grinding grain - never (so it seems) adopt the Western use of waterpower for pulping the rags from which paper was made? Why, having invented the world's first operative windmills in Sijistan, did Islam fail to spread them more widely? Why was it so resistant to printing with moveable type, even after this useful art had been borrowed from the West by its Christian and Jewish minorities?

In my own explorations of medieval European technology, I have been constantly handicapped by the dearth of scholarly material available on comparable Near Eastern activities. How could one be sure that anything was original in the West so long as we had so little solid information about Islam? The texts of al-KhazinI edited by N. Khanikoff, and of the Banu Mus!!. edited by M. Curtze, together with a scattering of studies by B. Carra de Vaux and others, were not very enlightening. From the fragmented and exasperating articles of Eilhard Wiedemann, it became clear that al-JazarI's machine book was the greatest neglected monument.

Some years ago I went to Istanbul to look at the remaining superb miniatures of the badly mutilated Mamluk manuscript in the library of <Aya Sofia. Western scholars had thought that conical valves first appeared in Leonardo's drawings, but al-JazarI's pictures show them. Similarly, segmental gears first clearly appear in al-JazarI; in the West they emerge in Giovanni de' Dondi's astronomical clock finished in 1364; with the great Sienese engineer Francesco di Giorgio (d. 1501) they entered the general vocabulary of European machine design. Of particular importance, also, is the first unequivocal description of metal casting in closed mould-boxes with green sand, a method not used in the West until the end of the fifteenth century. These examples, and others, suggest Muslim transmission of Hellenistic, Far Eastern, and indeed Muslim inventions to the West. On my return I kept telling my lamented colleague Gustave von Grunebaum that the engineering relations between Islam and the West could never be understood until al-JazarI was edited; and he kept replying, 'Who knows enough both of technology and of Arabic to do it?'

At last a professional engineer, sophisticated in Arabic and learned in Islamic history, has accomplished the task. Since this is a pioneering venture, it may well contain errors: these, if they exist, will be corrected as other texts are edited and special subjects investigated. The essential fact is that Dr. Hill, by preparing this volume, has laid a massive cornerstone for the building of a new historical topic: medieval Islamic engineering.

LYNN WHITE, JR.

University of California, Los Angeles

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My main objective in composing this book has been to present a faithful translation of al-Jazari's work, together with accurate reproductions of the original illustrations. I have also provided explanatory notes and drawings to assist the reader to arrive at a full understanding of the construction and operation of the devices. I realise, of course, that the essential part of this book is the translation of the text and I have felt keenly the responsibility of presenting this English version, especially since there is no published edition of the original, readily available for comparison. In any case, much of the importance.of al-Jazari's work lies in its value for historians of technology, many of whom have no knowledge of Arabic. I can only say that I believe that my translation, while doubtless not free from errors, to be free from any which would seriously distort the meaning or obscure vital information.

For the rest, I have dealt briefly with the works of other medieval Islamic writers on technology, in the light of our present knowledge, in order to arrive at a tentative evaluation of al-Jazari's position within his own cultural milieu. I have also touched upon the works of classical, Byzantine and Chinese writers, where such works impinge directly upon al-Jazari's subject matter. In doing so I have been acutely conscious of the inadequacy of my general knowledge of the history of technology. I have not attempted to rectify this inadequacy by studying the subject in depth, but only those aspects of it which are relevant to the present work. The necessity for making al-Jazari's work easily available to scholars overrides other considerations, and cannot wait upon my further education.

It would be a long task to express my gratitude to all those who have assisted me in the preparation of this book. I am nevertheless sincerely grateful for the co-operation and encouragement which I have encountered whenever I have asked for help or advice. I have carried out this work in my spare time, with only infrequent contacts with scholars of similar interests. Such contacts as I have had, together with a great deal of rewarding correspondence, have raised my spirits and strengthened my resolve, as well as providing me with valuable information and insights.

Professor Lynn White Jr. of the University of California, Los Angeles first prompted me to undertake this work, and has since sustained me with advice, encouragement and friendship. It was through him, moreover, that I was introduced to a number of scholars working in related fields. For all this I am extremely grateful. With Dr. Joseph Needham, Master of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, I have had several fruitful exchanges of views, and have thus been able to benefit frpm his immense store of knowledge of the technological culture of China. I am fully appreciative of the value of these discussions. My thanks are also due to Professor Cyril Stanley Smith, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for his comments on the significance of al-Jazari's description of his metal-casting techniques.

I could not have written this book without having first acquired some competence in Oriental' studies. I remember with gratitude my first guide in Arabic history, Mr. F. R. C. Bagley, 'ofth~ School of Oriental Studies, University of Durham, and then a long and fruitful association with the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. In particular, Professor Bernard Lewis passed on to me some small part of his profound understanding of Arabic history, and guided me towards an appreciation of the techniques of historical investigation. My debt to him is acknowledged with gratitude. I would also like to thank Professor T. M. Johnstone, who was kind enough to assist me in elucidating several of al-Jazari's more difficult passages, and Mr. J. D. Pearson and the Library staff, from whom I have always received courteous and efficient service.

The reproductions of the illustrations from the Graves 27 manuscript are an essential feature of this book. I am grateful to Mr. N. C. Sainsbury, Keeper of Oriental Books in the Bodleian Library for granting permission to publish these photographs, and to the Photographic Department of the Library for the high quality of their work. I would also like to express my gratitude to all the museums, art galleries and private owners who have provided material for my researches, and especially to those who have given permission for publication of photographs from the Istanbul manuscripts.

Mr. Neil Rutherford, of the Central School of Art and Design, London, was kind enough to discuss metal-casting techniques with me and to show me work in progress in the foundry. This was of considerable assistance to me in arriving at an understanding of al-Jazari's description of metal-casting.

XVI PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Mrs. Nina Fuller, as usual, made a highly competent job of the typescript, and for this I offer my thanks.

Mr. R. J. Law of the Science Museum, London, and his colleagues in the Newcomen Society performed a service for me which leaves me greatly in their debt. They brought my work to the attention of Dr. J. L. Verbeek of the D. Reidel Publishing Company, thus ensuring that it would see the light of day. It is a fitting conclusion, therefore, for me to express my gratitude to Dr. Verbeek and other members of Reidel's staff, for their courtesy to me, and for the efficiency with which they have carried through the publication, and for the fine quality of the production.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. Complete set of illustrations referred to in the text

AI-JazarI makes reference to 173 illustrations in his text, Fig. No. 174 being a list of 21 letters of the Arabic alphabet with their equivalent symbols from the secret alphabets. In order to present this work in accordance with al-JazarI's intentions it was therefore necessary to reproduce all these illustrations, from simple line drawings and thumbnail sketches to full page paintings. Only two of the original set are missing from the Bodleian Library Graves 27 manuscript and these omissions have been supplied by unaltered photographs from the Bodleian Library Fraser 186 manuscript (Fig. Nos. 128 and 133). Two of the illustrations in the Graves 27 manuscript are very faint line drawings, and the figures were therefore produced by making tracings from the photographic copy of the original (Fig. Nos. 42 and 142). All the other illustrations are unaltered photographs from the Graves 27 manuscript.

Some of the illustrations are shown in the original lying on their sides, with lettering and captions also turned through a right angle. To make for easier reading most of these have been reproduced in upright positions. These are Fig. Nos. 53, 56, 59, 66, 67, 80, and 122.

Fig. No. Description

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24

25

26 27 28

29

CATEGORY I

Chapter 1 Semicircle for flow-regulator; from 'Archimedes' Full circle for flow-regulator Full circle for flow-regulator, based upon sun's declination Main drawing of clock One of the cylindrical sections for the reservoir Complete reservoir Float for reservoir Tap for reservoir, with valve-seat Conical plug for valve Float chamber Float for float chamber, with valve-plug Elevation of flow-regulator, with engraved markings Line drawing for Fig. 12 Plug for flow-regulator Tapered pipe for flow-regulator Assembly of Figs. 13 and 14 Disc for flow-regulator, with plug and pipe One of the lower doors, with inscription Falcon, showing mechanism; drummer Cut-away disc for exposing glass roundels As Fig. 19, with iron ring added Timber beam, with hooks for suspending upper doors Weight for retaining lower door Timber beam for storing balls before release, with posi-tions of balls and blades indicated Timber beam with two grooves, providing passages for balls into down pipes General arrangement of upper part of clock Line drawing for Fig. 25 Siphon for air-vessel Air-vessel with siphon and mechanical flute Divided trough, with valves; dished plate with pipe; strings for moving pipe from one part-trough to another Line drawing for Fig. 28 Assembly of scoop-wheel, trough, air-vessel, and axle with trip-levers for musicians' arms Line drawing for Fig. 29

Folio Page

2V 17 2V 17 3R 17 4R 19 4V 20 4V 20 5R 21 5R 21 5R 21 5R 21 5R 21 5V 22

6R 23 6R 23 6R 23 6V 23 8V 26 9V 27 lOR 27 lOR 27 llR 29 11R 29

11V 29

12R 30 12V 31

13V 32 14R 33

15R 34

15V 34

XVIII LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig. No. Description Folio Page

30 'Spheres' for sun, moon, and zodiac 17V 37 Line drawing for Fig. 30

31 Pierced backing-ring for moon's phases 17V 37 32 One of the six 'bows' (i.e. bracing rods) for holding the

'spheres'together 18R 38 33 Front of the zodiac's 'sphere' 19R 39

Chapter 2 34 Main drawing of the clock 21R 43 35 Tipping-bucket 22R 44 36 Tipping-bucket in its trough 22R 44 37 Leather band for screening glass roundels 22V 45 38 Timber beam with hooks and one suspended weight 22V 45 39 Scoop-wheel, air-vessel, and mechanisms for operating

jacks 24R 48 Line drawing for Fig. 39

40 Layout of mechanisms for upper part of clock 25R 50

Chapter 3 41 Main drawing of clock 26R 52 42 One plate for castle (tracing) 26V 53 43 Serpent 27R 53 44 Links for sinking float 27R 54 45 Sinking float with fittings 27V 54 46 Large pulley, small pulleys, strings and weights 28R 55

Line drawing for Fig. 46 47 Ball-release device 29R 56

Chapter 4 48 Main drawing of clock 30V 58

Line drawing for Fig. 48 49 Links for sinking float 31R 60 50 Sinking float with fittings 31V 60 51 Scribe, with driving mechanism 32R 62 52 Mahout, with operating mechanisms 33R 62

Line drawing for Fig. 52 53 Plate for castle, with semicircle of roundels 33V 63

Line drawing for Fig. 53 54 Fixed channel for balls 34V 64

Line drawing for Fig. 54 55 Balance, for ball-release 35R 64

Line drawing for Fig. 55 56 Balance, with circular trough, and mechanism for opera-

ting man on balcony 35R 65 Line drawing for Fig. 56

57 One-way hinge 35V 65 58 One-way hinge, moving channel, and disc for screening

roundels 36R 66 Line drawing for Fig. 58

59 Man on balcony, and semicircle ofroundels 36V 67

Chapter 5 60 Main drawing of clock 38V 71

61 Float 39V 72

62 View inside beaker, showing mechanisms 40R 73

Line drawing for Fig. 62

Chapter 6

63 Main drawing of clock 41R 75

64 Tipping-bucket 41V 76

65 Tipping-bucket in its trough 41V 76

66 Layout of driving mechanisms 42V 77


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS XIX


67 Peacock chicks with operating mechanisms 43R 78 Line drawing for Fig. 67

68 System of pulleys and weights 44R 79 Line drawing for Fig. 68

69 Disc, with semicircle of roundels and second disc for screening the roundels 44V 80

70 Tipping-bucket with one-way hinge attached, ratchet-wheel, pawl, and large pulley-wheel 45V 82 Line drawing for Fig. 70

Chapter 7 71 Plan of two sheaths 46V 83 72 Channel, showing chambers, with one ball in one chamber 47R 84 73 Bracket for swordsman 47R 85 74 Main drawing of clock 48R 85


Chapter 8 75 Main drawing of clock 50R 89


Chapter 9 76 Main drawing of clock 5lR

90 Line drawing for Fig. 76

Chapter 10 77 Mechanism for operating doors 52R 92 78 Main drawing of clock 52V 93


CATEGORY II

Chapter 1 79 Vaned water-wheel 53V 96 80 Main drawing of goblet 53V 96


Chapter 2 81 Main drawing of goblet 54V 98


Chapter 3 82 Main drawing 'of wine dispenser 55V 99

Line drawing for Fig. 82 83 Sectionalised drawing of bottle 56R 100 84 Arm of slave-girl, with extension 56V 101 85 Layout of mechanisms for upper part of dispenser 58R 103

Line drawing for Fig. 85 86 Scoop-wheel, trough, and mechanisms for operating jack-

figures 59R 105 Line drawing for Fig. 86

Chapter 4 87 Main drawing of boat 61V 107


Chapter 5 88 Main drawing of pitcher and valve 62R 110 89 Dividing plates for pitcher 62V 111 90 Plan view of neck of pitcher 63R 112 91 Elevation of neck of pitcher 63R 112

Line drawing for Fig. 91 92 Matrix of entry holes into valve 64R 113

xx LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


93 Sectionalised drawing of inside of pitcher 64V 114 Line drawing for Fig. 93

Chapter 6 94 Main drawing of figure 65R 115 95 Sectionalised drawing of inside of figure 65V 116

Line drawing for Fig. 95 96 Arm, with jar and siphon 65V 116 97 Semi-sectionalised drawing of figure, showing mechanisms 66V 117


Chapter 7 98 Main drawing of figure 67V 119

Chapter 8 99 Main drawing of figure; inset of arm with goblet, jar and

siphon; inset of tipping-bucket in its trough 68V 121

Chapter 9 100 Main drawing of figures and water mechanisms 70R 123


Chapter 10 101 Roller for girl's foot 70V 125 102 Main drawing of slave-girl and water mechanisms 71V 126


CATEGORY III

Chapter 1 103 Funnel and pipe 72R 127 104 Main drawing of pitcher, showing internals 72V 128


Chapter 2 105 Siphon 73R 130 106 Main drawing of pitcher, showing internals 73V 130

Line drawing for Fig. 106 107 Valve body and plug 73V 131 108 Sectionalised view of operating unit, showing valve,

valve-rod, tipping-bucket, and siphon 74R 132

Chapter 3 109 Arm with axle 75R 133 110 Valve body and plug 75R 134 111 Main drawing of figure, showing mechanisms 76R 134


Chapter 4 112 Main drawing of peacock 78R 136

Chapter 5 113 Main drawing of basin 79V 138


Chapter 6 114 Layout plan for feet of pillars 80V 140 115 Main drawing of basin 81R 141


Chapter 7 116 Main drawing of basin 83R 145

Line drawing for Fig. 116 117 Main drawing of basin, with insets of door opening

mechanisms 84V 148 Line drawing for Fig. 117

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS XXI


118 Main drawing of peacock and basin 86V 151 Line drawing for Fig. 118

119 Main drawing of slave, pitcher, and basin 88V 154 Line drawing for Fig. 119

CATEGORY IV

Chapter 1 157

120 Balanced pipe 89R 158

121 Main drawing of fountain 89V Line drawing for Fig. 121

Chapter 2 90R 159 122 Main drawing of fountain


Chapter 3 123 Main drawing of fountain 91R 161


Chapter 4 124 Main drawing of fountain 91V 162

Line drawing for Fig. 124 125 Detail of fountain head (alternative design) 92R 163

Chapter 5 126 Main drawing of fountain 93R 165


Chapter 6 127 Tank, pipes, valve-seat and valve-plug 93V 166 128 Balanced pipe (from Fraser 186 MS) 155R 167 129 Main drawing of fountain 94V 168

Chapter 7 130 Main drawing of instrument for perpetual flute 95V 171


Chapter 8 131 Main drawing of instrument for perpetual flute 96V 173


Chapter 9 132 Main drawing of instrument for perpetual flute 97R 175


Chapter 10 133 Main drawing of instrument for perpetual flute

(from Fraser 186 MS) 162V 177 Line drawing for Fig. 133

CATEGORY v Chapter 1

134 Main drawing of water-raising machine 99V 180 Line drawing for Fig. 134

Chapter 2 135 Main drawing of water-raising machine 100R 181






XXII LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


Chapter 5 138 Pump, first design, with horizontal water-wheel 103V 186

Line drawing for Fig. 138 139 First design, assembly (?) l04R 187 140 Second design: cylinder, piston, valves, suction and

delivery pipes 104R 187 Line drawing for Fig. 140

141 Second design: main drawing of complete assembly 105R 189 Line drawing for Fig. 141

CATEGORY VI

Chapter 1 142 Elevation of door (tracing) 106R 191

Line drawing for Fig. 142 143 Latticework - main components 106V 192 144 Latticework - domes and filler pieces 106V 193 145 Latticework - filler pieces 107R 193 146 Cast section 107R 194 147 Cast sections 107V 194 148 Knocker 107V 195

Chapter 2 149 Ruler and semicircle 108V 196 150 Alidade 108V 196 151 Complete protractor 108V 197 152 Plan demonstrating use of protractor 109R 197

Chapter 3 153 Plan of lid 109V 199 154 Outer lettered disc, with pointer 109V 199 155 Cylinder and disc 109V 199 156 Inner lettered disc, with pointer 109V 199 157 Cylinder and disc 110R 200 158 Central rod, with pointer 110R 200 159 Cylinder and disc 1I0R 200 160 Notched disc 1I0R 200 161 Notched disc, with circle of holes 1I0R 200 162 Plan of metal plate inside lid 1I0V 200 163 Key for opening lid 1I0V 201 164 Disc with cams, operated by key 1I0V 201 165 Assembly of one lock 1I0V 201

Line drawing for Fig. 165 166 Plan of plate, with locking mechanisms llIR 201


Chapter 4 167 Short bolt 1I1V 202 168 Long bolt 1I2R 202 169 Block, grooved to receive bolts 1I2R 202 170 Block with bolts inserted 1I2R 202 171 Toothed pinion 1I2R 203 172 Plan of assembled lock 1I2V 203

Chapter 5 173 Main drawing of clock 1I3V 204 174 Arabic letters used in the book, each with two equivalents

from the secret alphabets 1I4R 206

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS XXIII

2. Plates

Plates I to XXXII will be found between pages 207 and 238. Note: credit lines are not given in the following list, but are shown below the individual Plates.

In most cases the wording of the credit lines has been prescribed by the owners.

Plate Description Page

Frontispiece 1315 MS. Main illustration of the Elephant Water-clock II

I 1354 MS. Main illustration of the Castle Water-clock 207 II 1315 MS. Zodiac from the Castle Water-clock 208 III 1315 MS. Main illustration of the Water-clock of the Drummers 209 IV 1315 MS. Scribe from the Elephant Water-clock 210 V 1315 MS. Mahout from the Elephant Water-clock 211 VI 1354 MS. Man on balcony, from the Elephant Water-clock 212 VII 1354 MS. Main illustration of the Beaker Water-clock 213 VIII 1315 MS. Internal details of the Beaker Water-clock 214 IX 1315 MS. Details of water equipment of the Peacock Water-clock 215 X 1315 MS. Details of the operation of the chicks, Peacock Water-c1ock 216 XI 1315 MS. Main illustration of the Swordsman Candle-clock 217 XII 1315 MS. Main illustration of the Wine Goblet 218 XIII 1354 MS. Main illustration of the Castle Wine-dispenser 219 XIV 1315 MS. Main illustration of the Boat 220 XV 1315 MS. Main illustration of the Dispenser for different liquids 221 XVI 1315 MS. Details of internals of Slave 222 XVII 1315 MS. Main illustration of Man with Goblet 223 XVIII 1315 MS. Main illustration of the two Shaykhs 224 XIX 1354 MS. Otherwise as Plate XVIII 225 XX 1315 MS. Main illustration of the Servant Girl 226 XXI 1354 MS. Otherwise as Plate XX 227 XXII 1315 MS. Main illustration of phlebotomy measuring device 228 XXIII 1354 MS. Otherwise as Plate XXII 229 XXIV 1315 MS. Main illustration of the Peacock hand-washing device 230 XXV 1354 MS. Otherwise as Plate XXIV 231 XXVI 1315 MS. Main illustration of Servant, with pitcher and basin 232 XXVII 1315 MS. Main illustration of Water-raising machine 233 XXVIII 1315 MS. Main illustration of Water-raising machine 234 XXIX 1354 MS. Otherwise as Plate XXVIII 235 XXX 1354 MS. Main illustration of Pump 236 XXXI 1354 MS. Main illustration of Boat Water-clock 237 XXXII Illustration of a device of unknown purpose, from the Graves 27 MS. 238

XXIV LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

3. Explanatory Drawings

Fig. No. Description

CATEGORY I

Chapter 1 1.1 Elevation from rear of house 1.2 Elevation in direction AA on Fig. 1.1 1.3 Part plan (water equipment only) 1.4 Flow regulator: A - isometric sketch before assembly;

B - section after assembly 1.5 Operation of doors: A - isometric sketch; B - section on door centre 1.6 Detail of spheres: A - plan view on back; B, C, D - scrap sections

Chapter 2 2.1 Part plan

Chapter 4 4.1 General layout : A - main elevation; B - plan inside castle;

C - view in direction of arrow Y 4.2 Channel for balls (isometric view) 4.3 Balance (isometric view); detail of mechanism for operating man on

balcony 4.4 Float: A - plan; B - section on centre

Chapter 5 5.1 Sectional elevation 5.2 Division of disc for solar hours

Chapter 6 6.1 Isometric view of mechanisms

Chapter 7 7.1 Isometric views of candle-clock

Chapter 8 8.1 View on centre of candle-clock

Chapter 10 10.1 Details: A - door release; B - modified ball holder

CATEGORY II

Chapter 3 13.1 View from rear inside 13.2 View in direction A, Fig. 13.1

Chapter 5 15.1 Elevation (half of shell removed); valve body in section;

plan on neck of pitcher

Chapter 7 17.1 Section through fish and arm

CATEGORY III

Chapter 1 21.1 Section between plates 21.2 Section across plates

Chapter 2 22.1 A - section on centre; B - plan on cover

Chapter 5 25.1 Section on centre

Page

244 245 245

245 245 246

247

249 249

249 249

251 251

252

253

254

254

256 256

257

257

259 259

260

261

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xxv

Fig. No. Description Page

Chapter 7 27.1 A - outline plan of basin floor; B - section on centre;

C - section on x-x 261

CATEGORY IV

Chapter 1 31.1 Section on centre, with plan on fountain-head 263

Chapter 5 35.1 Section on centre 264

CATEGORY v Chapter 3

43.1 Isometric of wheel 265

Chapter 4 44.1 Section on centre 266

CATEGORY VI

Chapter 1 46.1 Part oflatticework; section/elevation on a dome 267

Chapter 3 48.1 Lock details 269 48.2 Latch 269

Chapter 4 49.1 A - isometric, wheel and bolts only; B - section on centre 270

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