| Abstract |
"A Caliphal Daedalus examines connections between science and visual culture during the early Islamic scientific revolution of the caliphal age (650-1250 CE). It takes as its point of departure the figure of Abbas Ibn Firnas, (d. 887), the most famous scientist and polymath of early Islamic Spain. The book considers his scientific activities as these intersected with design and craft, culminating in the aeronautics experiment for which he is best known today, as these are recounted in the Muqtabis, the chronicle compiled by the Cordoban court historian Ibn Hayyan (d. 1076). It calls into question notions that medieval Islamic artisans and designers were anonymous individuals working outside elite social and intellectual circles. The key passages from the chronicle are presented in English translation, including the oldest and most authoritative source for the aeronautics experiment. The Arabic texts are examined in tandem with the earliest Islamic scientific instruments (especially astrolabes) and illustrated Arabic treatises of astronomy and engineering, preserved in museums and libraries around the globe. The book argues for a medieval Islamic court culture in which design and making were central to scientific intellectual pursuits and which may have shaped the culture of the Italian Renaissance"-- Provided by publisher. |
