February 11, 2011
The idea put forward by this exhibition, hidden away in the basement of the Museum of the History of Science, is that balance (al Mizan) was at the heart of both the intellectual and practical life of the Islamic empire.
The Astrolabe is the mascot of this idea. It’s a shiny, intricate instrument that looks like the alethiometer in Northern Lights, often with the signs of the zodiac – and in particular Libra, the balances - drawn curved around the edge along with fine Arabic script and mathematical-looking lines. However, I began wandering around this exhibition without quite knowing what the point of the instrument was other than looking pretty and there were so many on display that my ignorance made me feel rather shifty. Luckily around the second corner there was a video that very nicely illustrated the functions of one particular astrolabe (which were to predict the positions of the sun, moon, planets and stars), using animations that superimposed the heavenly bodies in their celestial context over their carved or painted counterparts on the astrolabe.
Not all astrolabes do exactly the same things, but their most basic function is to tell the reader where he/she is – in relation to the stars, in terms of latitude and longitude, the future, or in relation to Mecca. Slightly like an ancient iPhone in this respect (?), perhaps the high regard in which the instrument and its makers were held and the proliferation of different astrolabes throughout the Islamic Empire were to do with the feeling of control and organisation it could offer.
Possibly the best part of this exhibition is the commentary on its central concept and on the exhibits – though the beautiful intricacy of the exhibits themselves comes a very close second. The explanatory placards are clearly displayed and full of nuggets of information that stay in your head even if, like me, you knew next to nothing about the Islamic Empire before you entered the room. For example, to illustrate the central part played by al Mizan in morality and public life in the Mughals Court in 1607, we are told how it was the custom for the prince to be weighed on a gigantic scales, after which his weight in precious jewels was given out to the poor. Rather ostentatious charity perhaps, but at least it’s a way of making the sight of the overfed aristocracy less annoying to a starving pleb.
The exhibition is like a pretty succinct, well written and illustrated, 3D essay. While having no clear conclusion, it sparks off a lot of ideas and leaves you wondering. There’s just enough history and technology explained for your brain to latch on to the world it illustrates. That world is so huge that no one exhibition could ever make you leave with a comprehensive grasp of it. But by having an overarching theme, in the context of which it touches upon lots of different aspects of the Islamic Empire – like morality, technology, trade, the productive arts and theoretical disciplines – Al Mizan gives you an enjoyable and painless introduction. It’s on until March – I’d recommend taking a look!
The Astrolabe is the mascot of this idea. It’s a shiny, intricate instrument that looks like the alethiometer in Northern Lights, often with the signs of the zodiac – and in particular Libra, the balances - drawn curved around the edge along with fine Arabic script and mathematical-looking lines. However, I began wandering around this exhibition without quite knowing what the point of the instrument was other than looking pretty and there were so many on display that my ignorance made me feel rather shifty. Luckily around the second corner there was a video that very nicely illustrated the functions of one particular astrolabe (which were to predict the positions of the sun, moon, planets and stars), using animations that superimposed the heavenly bodies in their celestial context over their carved or painted counterparts on the astrolabe.
Not all astrolabes do exactly the same things, but their most basic function is to tell the reader where he/she is – in relation to the stars, in terms of latitude and longitude, the future, or in relation to Mecca. Slightly like an ancient iPhone in this respect (?), perhaps the high regard in which the instrument and its makers were held and the proliferation of different astrolabes throughout the Islamic Empire were to do with the feeling of control and organisation it could offer.
Possibly the best part of this exhibition is the commentary on its central concept and on the exhibits – though the beautiful intricacy of the exhibits themselves comes a very close second. The explanatory placards are clearly displayed and full of nuggets of information that stay in your head even if, like me, you knew next to nothing about the Islamic Empire before you entered the room. For example, to illustrate the central part played by al Mizan in morality and public life in the Mughals Court in 1607, we are told how it was the custom for the prince to be weighed on a gigantic scales, after which his weight in precious jewels was given out to the poor. Rather ostentatious charity perhaps, but at least it’s a way of making the sight of the overfed aristocracy less annoying to a starving pleb.
The exhibition is like a pretty succinct, well written and illustrated, 3D essay. While having no clear conclusion, it sparks off a lot of ideas and leaves you wondering. There’s just enough history and technology explained for your brain to latch on to the world it illustrates. That world is so huge that no one exhibition could ever make you leave with a comprehensive grasp of it. But by having an overarching theme, in the context of which it touches upon lots of different aspects of the Islamic Empire – like morality, technology, trade, the productive arts and theoretical disciplines – Al Mizan gives you an enjoyable and painless introduction. It’s on until March – I’d recommend taking a look!