Moroccan Geometric Patterns

ISLAMIC GEOMETRIC PATTERNS CONSTRUCTED BY CRAFTSMEN WORKING ON WOOD

Since the seventh century the Islamic world has had great artistic and decorative traditions. In this vast space that was spread across Europe, Africa and Asia, we find artistic treasures of unrivalled beauty. The Islamic ornamental art that is found on diverse materials such as tiles, bricks, wood, brass, and plaster may be classified in two types: the tridimensional ornamental art called Muqarnas (Stalactites) (figure 1.a) and the plane ornamental Arabesque which may also be divided into two categories: floral and “Tastir” or Geometric Patterns.

The floral encompasses great achievements in curvilinear patterns, stylized floral designs called “Taourik” and “Tachjir”. In such patterns spiral forms undulate and coalesce in continuously.

“Tastir” or Geometric designs which are the largest class of Islamic patterns occur in rich profusion throughout Islamic art. Patterns adorn buildings, particularly mosques and tombs; they are best known to Americans and Europeans through the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, one of the jewels of Islamic art.

The design methods were the private domain of the artisans who practiced them. The knowledge was passed down from master to apprentice over generations and was ultimately lost as the usage of Islamic patterns declined during

the fifteenth century. However by the end of the last century, the Moroccan King Hassan II had given strong support to promote, preserve and develop the art (Abbas, 1995).

Several authors have published large collections of Islamic patterns, they have focused their work on classification and analysis of these patterns (Bourgoin, 1879), (El-Said and Parman, 1976), (Wade, 1976), (Paccard, 1980), (Critchlow, 2004), computer calculation (Abbas, and Salman, 1992), (Ostromouv, 1998), (Kaplan and Salesin, 2004), and group symmetry analysis (Graünbaum and Graünbaum 1986), (Makovicky and Hach-Ali, 1995), (Makovicky and Hach-Ali, 1996), (Makovicky et al, 1998). Castera (1992, 1996) was the only who described the craftsmen’s method of construction encountered in the Moroccan “Zellij” patterns (fine mosaics) and explained how the patterns were constructed and how did the Zellij patterns evolve from the simple to the complex. The regularity and the

perfect symmetry of the patterns hide mathematical rules developed by the ancient designers and used now in an empirical way by the modern craftsmen. Methods of construction of geometric patterns, based on the concept of symmetry, vary according to the Islamic area. In this paper we will present some known methods used in the Eastern as well as in the Western Islamic World. We will then describe one method called “Hasba” which is adopted by the Moroccan craftsmen working on wood material.

A. Thalal, M. J. Benatia, A. Jali, Y. Aboufadil and M. A. Elidrissi R.

Symmetry: Culture and Science

Vol. 22, Nos. 1-2, 103-130, 2011

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