Islamic Design: A Genius for Geometry

Wooden Books

by Daud Sutton

Throughout their long history the craft traditions of the Islamic world evolved a multitude of styles applied to a great variety of media but always with unifying factors that make them instantly recognizable. Harmony is central. There are two key aspects to the visual structure of Islamic design, calligraphy using Arabic script-one of the world's great calligraphic traditions-and abstract ornamentation using a varied but remarkably integrated visual language. This art of pure ornament revolves around two central themes; crystalline geometric patterns, the harmonic and symmetrical subdivision of the plane giving rise to intricately interwoven designs that speak of infinity and the omnipresent center; and idealized plant form, spiraling tendrils, leaves, buds and flowers embodying organic life and rhythm.

1. WIDE Anyone interested in science, mathematics, design, architecture, and the natural world.

2. A compelling blend of scholarship and visual presentation, packs an enormous amount of information into a short space.

3. BEAUTIFUL A bargain at $10.00. Winner of First Prize for Nonfiction at the New York Book Show

4. SERIES All are aimed at bringing ancient wisdom forward into the 21st century.

5. INSPIRING : The perfect entrée into a challenging topic; will inspire other reading.

Genres: Art, Design, Nonfiction, Islam, Reference, Mathematics, History

64 pages, Hardcover

First published October 16, 2007

Reviews

[Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up on a trip to the Getty museum in Los Angeles. It’s a solid introduction, more of a brief survey across the entire discipline rather than an in-depth review of a portion of such design.

Islamic design is spectacular; the explanation for how to construct the designs based on geometry is too detailed for this book. In other words, if you are a novice looking for how to incorporate such design into your own artwork, this will not be sufficient. However, if you’re looking for a book to skim over while drinking a coffee at an art museum café, it works splendidly.

[YouMo Mi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up at the Met. It's a short introduction on the geometric foundations of abstract art and patterns commonly lumped together as "Islamic". One can argue whether artwork spanning several continents for nearly two millennia is necessarily religiously-oriented, but it is a legitimate position with plenty of evidence showing how Islamic religious and cultural values influenced its developments. I just wish that was actually articulated in the book! It was also in black and white, which further takes away from appreciating how the beautiful artwork appears in real life.

Not a bad introduction, but there are probably more satisfying introductions.

[Mathi Fonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Islamic design is fascinating for me. The attention to details, the symmetry, the textures and colors, all of it!

I thought this book was going to explain the meaning of the shapes and patterns, and I was going to be able to recognise them in real life. However, it ended up being more about the geometrically shapes and not so much about their reasons to be there.

I still enjoyed it because the illustrations are good, but I would've preferred more historical and spiritual context for them.

[Vincent Sargenti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for those interest in this kind of design.

[Bactriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

言简意赅，可操作性比较好（

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a really very little book,I expected something slightly bigger,but it's filled with amazing islamic patterns.

[Pmslax]

Borrowed from the library. Should get it again. Have more to read.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book, I've learnt so much from it. I assume it was originally in colour as this is hinted at in the text and is a great loss with the examples being of so striking.

[hamna · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is so endearing (and equally terrifying) i wish i could buy 200 copies and frame them everywhere in my room. who knows, maybe i will?

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would be great for quilting.

[Daniel Zonneveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really small in content, but concentrate in depth. I enjoyed and learned a lot. But also makes me feel that I want to learn a lot more than said.

[Kormak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Short, but full of head-spinning information and mind-blowing patterns.

[Islam Sami · Rating 3 out of 5]

📖 3.5 ✨️
۞ MORE THAN GENIUS ART ۞

[3thn · Rating 5 out of 5]

everything is on circles on top of lines on top of circles

[Robert Poortinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

So clearly explained, culturally, scientifically and by reduction of patterns shows how these incredible intricacies were/are created.

[Raffaele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendido libricino con spiegazioni chiare e profonde che mettono in collegamento la visione filosofica e religiosa islamica con la produzione artistica e decorativa strettamente legata alla modulazione di elementi geometrici che rendono perfettamente la relazione fra Uno e Multiplo, fra essenza divina ed infinita emanazione concreta.
Anche l'infinito gioco del design applicato alla decorazione e all'alfabeto è reso magistralmente.
L'oggetto libro è esso stesso estremamente piacevole da tenere fra le con la sua carta a grana grossa e il suo formato contenuto e delicato.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool little book. I was hoping for more explanation between Islamic theology and geometry. There was a bit of that, but a great deal more of statements such as "Two ninths of a full turn, 80º, plus three elevenths of a full turn, approximately 98.2º, is very close to 180º. This allows the rhombic arrangement of two enneagons and two endecagons …" Since it has been over 40 years since my last geometry class, the whole book was rather slow going for me.

[Carlos Said · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, a bit hard to follow on the ordered diagrams. But overall I could spend a long time looking at the patterns and relating them to what I read. Do read with some internet pictures of islamic sites and designs =)

[Matteo · Rating 3 out of 5]

normally math books about multiculturalism look really boring. i saw this by the cash register at the bookstore, flipped the pages, and it's great!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

just delicious

[Aneel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Really good explanations of how the patterns are derived. Lots of beautiful diagrams.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Very good"

[Davoud Taghavi]

A rather small book, rather nicely edited and done. Can not say that there is much here in the way of details and is simply a very small introduction to design and very basic geometry.

[Nora]

This book has made me realise how incredibly complex (and near-impossible) geometric design and art is. Yikes.

[Mina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A small introductory book, very basic in its actual content (a short, fun read). Good graphics with nicely curated patterns and geometries.

[David Antoš · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little book. Too short for all the technical details though and more of historical context would be appreciated. Islamic design is beautiful.

[Rhyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A jewel, a workbook, to be read and played with forever.

[Maggie]

very cool book. breaks down a lot of islamic patterning into components.

[Bonnie Ridley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent research book for the zillij mosaics. Topic of my next book which is set in Morocco: Whispers in the Medina.