January Antiques & Decorative Arts
Lot 137: A Manuscript Page Depicting a Lunar Eclipse Diagram,...
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A Manuscript Page Depicting a Lunar Eclipse Diagram, 19th Century – A manuscript page from a copy of Kitāb ‘Ajā’ib al-makhlūqāt wa-gharā’ib al-mawjūdāt (The Wonders of Creation and the Peculiarities of Existing Things). This detailed astronomical diagram, executed on aged light brown paper with black ink and washes of grey, yellow-orange, and white pigment, illustrates a lunar eclipse scenario. The central diagram features Arabic labels identifying key elements such as "Body of the Sun" (جرم الشمس), "The Earth" (الارض) at the center, "Body of the Earth" (جرم الأرض), "Center of the Shadow" (مركز الظل), and "Body of the Moon, its eclipse" (جرم القمر خسفه). An extensive Arabic inscription in the upper section describes the moon’s conical shadow, diameters, and obscuration, concluding with "This is its light."
With frame: Approximately 61 x 51cm
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