"Design for a Cup to Serve Wine at Drinking Parties", Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari

Art Historical Context

This exquisite folio comes from a 1315 copy of-Jazari’s renowned “Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices,” originally written in 1206 for the Artuqid rulers of Diyarbakir. The page presents a detailed design for an automated wine-serving cup intended for lively drinking parties.ed in delicate ink, opaque watercolor, and touches of gold, the illustration captures the inventive spirit of medieval Islamic engineering, where art and mechanics worked together to delight guests. Al-Jazari, whose full name was Badiʿ al-Zaman ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari, combined practical knowledge of hyd...