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***Note to Peer Reviewer: This page are proposed edits for the existing article: Elephant clock

Automaton

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In similar clocks made by Jazari, the figures were attached to chains which would cause the piece to solely spin as the water files into the floating bowl[1]. this creates larger moments of motion to the piece. Other works and plans by Jazari share a similar use of water as a way activate the movement of the figures attached to the machine. Both the Dragon clock and Peacock clock were created after and seemingly influenced by Jazari's work[2].

Passage of temporal hours

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The automatons connected to this piece were also planned to work similar to a cuckoo clock, with cymbals being struck at the beginning of the passing hours. The sound of birds chirping also indicating this passing of time.[2]

Aesthetics

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The importance of aesthetics within Islamic culture is largely relevant. Many water mills and clocks were placed in both public and private spaces due to their prominence within the economy, which in turn influences how they are designed and decorated[1]. The details of the Elephant clock features many different designs and use differing decorations that fit within Islamic visual culture. The plan to feature an elephant, dragon, and phoenix in such a flowing compositions shows a connection to the three and the culture they represent, the dragon representing China and the phoenix representing Persia. These three work off each other through the workings of the piece, similar to how these three cultures build off of each other in both an economical and artistic stand point[3]. The plan also features the planned addition of calligraphy, which is a large part of Islamic art and culture. The use of calligraphy is very prominent within art as it is its own craft within the Islamic world.

The use of animals along side both working and royal figures along side representing the mixing of different cultures shows Jazari's respect for each group along with the respect towards traditional representation[4]. The original plan to use gold and tile as additional decoration fits into classical styles of Islamic décor for larger piece such as the Elephant Clock[2].

Within the Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, he designs a peacock fountain, which follow this pattern of large display of animals and the use of small human automatons which play smaller roles in the actual mechanics. [4]

Bibliography

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  1. ^ a b Hill, Donald R. (1991). "Mechanical Engineering in the Medieval Near East". Scientific American. 264 (5): 102. ISSN 0036-8733.
  2. ^ a b c Yassi, Yousef (2017). "Al-Jazari's Water Clocks". Nuncius. 32 (1): 1–24. doi:10.1163/18253911-03201001. ISSN 0394-7394.
  3. ^ Hoffman, Eva R.; Redford, Scott (2017-06-20), "Transculturation in the Eastern Mediterranean", A Companion to Islamic Art and Architecture, Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 405–430, ISBN 978-1-119-06921-8, retrieved 2020-11-17
  4. ^ a b Erzen, Jale Nejdet (2007). "Islamic Aesthetics: An Alternative Way to Knowledge". The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 65 (1): 69–75. ISSN 0021-8529.