Girih

Stars and straps interlocking across the plane. Girih — the name means “knot” in Persian — is the system of geometric strapwork that runs through Islamic architecture from Morocco to Central Asia, on walls, doors, ceilings, and book covers.

The pattern is built from a small set of shapes that fit together in only certain ways. Once locked, the strapwork reads as a single continuous line weaving through the stars, even though it’s drawn as separate pieces. The same drawing has carried mosaic tile, carved plaster, inlaid wood, and pierced metal screens.

At jewelry scale a single repeat tightens into a pendant face. The interlace that fills a domed ceiling becomes the cut lines of one piece of metal, sitting flat against the body.