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Geometry in Islamic Art

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Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures

Geometric patterns in two and three dimensions comprise one of the key characteristics of arts and architecture of the Islamic world in many cultural traditions from the central Islamic lands of the Middle East to Spain, India, Indonesia, and sub-Saharan Africa (Bloom & Blair, 2009; Broug, 2013; Ettinghausen, Grabar, & Jenkins-Madina, 2001; Gerdes, 1999; Hillenbrand, 1994, 2009). Although geometry is present, either by conscious human choice in design or as an inherent feature of architectural production in all cultures, it seems to have assumed a much higher significance in Islamic centers of civilization (Grabar, 1992). Often attributed to a proscription against figural images, this interpretation is not borne out historically with reference to palace wall painting, ceramics, ivory, woodwork, and book illustration rich with pictorial narrative. There are, indeed, other more rational explanations for the emphasis on geometric figures (Allen, 1988; Freedberg, 1989; Belting, 2011) as...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Road, 94709, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Carol Bier (Research Associate)

  2. The Textile Museum, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Carol Bier (Research Associate)

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  1. Carol Bier
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Correspondence to Carol Bier .

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  1. Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    Helaine Selin

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Bier, C. (2015). Geometry in Islamic Art. In: Selin, H. (eds) Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3934-5_10111-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3934-5_10111-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-3934-5

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