Where is islamic geometric art found

Abundant examples of this type of decoration can be found throughout the Moroccan residence of Manhattan art dealer Dorothea McKenna Elkon and her husband, designer Salem Grassi , which I wrote about in the May issue of AD. Kaleidoscopic extravagances that resemble interlocking stars enliven every corner of the three-story riad the couple calls Dar Maktoub House of Destiny , from wall fountains with tilework known as zellige to vaulted and coffered cedar ceilings.

Precisely why geometric patterns became so central in Islamic decoration remains unclear. Geometric patterns, other Islamic art specialists have suggested, served important symbolic functions.

The four examples above show how to derive a range of classic motifs from the decagram there are several more. The pattern below is a cut tile mosaic pattern from the inside tomb of Persian poet Hafez in Shiraz, Iran.

Shiraz — Aramgah-e Hafez. Tomb of Hafez, tombstone placed by Karim Khan Octagonal pavillion added photo: R. Introduction to Geometry. However, these complex patterns seem to embody a refusal to adhere strictly to the rules of geometry. As a matter of fact, geometric ornamentation in Islamic art suggests a remarkable amount of freedom; in its repetition and complexity, it offers the possibility of infinite growth and can accommodate the incorporation of other types of ornamentation as well.

In terms of their abstractness, repetitive motifs, and symmetry, geometric patterns have much in common with the so-called arabesque style seen in many vegetal designs. Calligraphic ornamentation also appears in conjunction with geometric patterns.

It is clear, however, that the complex patterns found on many objects include a number of different shapes and arrangements, allowing them to fit into more than one category. Department of Islamic Art. Santa Monica, Calif. Visiting The Met? Fragment of a Cover with Geometric and Interlace Decoration. Tile from a Mihrab. Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript Muhammad al-Zanjani.

High-Tin Bronze Bowl. Basin with Figural Imagery. Hexagonal Tile Ensemble with Sphinx. About half of his clients are Muslim. Human beings like beautiful things. I want to engage with people and show them the beauty and design techniques involved in making these patterns. So, for example, a client who wants screens for a Turkish restaurant, will be best served with geometric patterns from the Seljuk or Ottoman era. Eric hopes that his research and outreach work will breath life into future of Islamic geometric design.

Currently, there is almost only replication of patterns, very little innovation. The following patterns show how a pattern of overlapping hexagons can become a dodecagons.

The most interesting patterns mathematically are those based around pentagons, such as the one below, since pentagons cannot be tiled repeatedly to fill the plain in the way that hexagons, squares and triangles can. For more information on Eric, check out his website www.