The mechanical genius al-Jazari was in the service of the Artuqids in Diyarbakir when he finished his
Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices in around 1205. It contained descriptions of humanoid metal robots like this one, but also door handles and combination locks quite similar to examples in the David Collection (
38/1973 and
1/1984).
The manuscript was copied in 1315, and although the costume with the
tiraz band around the sleeves and the distinctive hat are in accordance with contemporary Muslim fashions, the style, as in so much other ‘Arab painting,’ was influenced by the Christian painting tradition, as shown e.g. by the physiognomy, the halo, and the folds of the kirtle.
Inv. no. 20/1988
Published in:
Sotheby’s, London, 6/12-1967, lot 18;
Theodore Bowie: Islamic art across the world: an exhibition, Indiana University Art Museum, Bloomington 1970, p. 32 and 54, cat.no. 38;
Ibn al-Razzâz al-Jazarî: The book of knowledge of ingenious mechanical devices (Kitâb fî ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya), transl. [from the Arabic] and annotated by Donald R. Hill, Dordrecht [1974], tav. 17;
[B. W. Robinson et al.]: Persian and Mughal art, Colnaghi, London [1976], cat.no. 4;
Art from the World of Islam. 8th-18th century, Louisiana, Humlebæk 1987, cat.no. 152;
Kjeld von Folsach: Islamic art. The David Collection, Copenhagen 1990, cat.no. 19;
Kjeld von Folsach, Torben Lundbæk and Peder Mortensen (eds.): Sultan, Shah and Great Mughal: the history and culture of the Islamic world, The National Museum, Copenhagen 1996, cat.no. 83;
Kjeld von Folsach: Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection, Copenhagen 2001, cat.no. 24;
Ahmed Djebbar (ed.): L'age d'or des sciences arabes, Institut du monde arabe, Paris 2005, cat.no. 47, p. 273;
Kjeld von Folsach: For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection, Louisiana, Humlebæk 2007, cat.no. 5;
Jacqueline du Pasquier: Histoire du verre: les chefs-d'oeuvre de l'islam, Paris 2007, pp. 14-15;
Hossam Elkhadem: À la découverte de l'age d'or des sciences arabes, catalogue de l'exposition itinérante, Université libre, Bruxelles, Bruxelles [2009], p. 117;
Andrea Gropp, Werner Pöhling (eds.): Häuser der Weisheit: Wissenschaft im goldenen Zeitalter des Islam, Kultur- und Stadthistorisches Museum Duisburg, Mainz am Rhein 2015, fig. 11, p. 15;
Kjeld von Folsach, Joachim Meyer: The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2017, cat.no. 18;
