Carol Bier | Graduate Theological Union (original) (raw)

Books and Edited Volumes by Carol Bier

Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art, 2017

Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art (Berkeley: Graduate Th... more Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art (Berkeley: Graduate Theological Union, 2017) by Carol Bier with Preface by Elizabeth S. Peña. A book published on occasion of an exhibition, "Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art," organized by the Center for the Arts & Religion at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley CA (31 January - 26 May 2017). Introduction and two essays, "Engaging Tradition Today," and "What is 'Traditional Islamic Art'?" plus catalog entries and bibliography. Argues for an algorithmic aesthetic of pattern as a defining feature of "traditional Islamic art." Participating artists (all US-based): Hooman Koliji, Nazanin Hedayat Munroe, Chris Palmer, Manzar Rassouli, Mamoun Sakkal, Nathan Voirol, Phil Webster. Cover, with front and back matter in PDF.

The Persian Velvets at Rosenborg, 1995

The first comprehensive view of Persian velvets, examining weave structure, technology, and archi... more The first comprehensive view of Persian velvets, examining weave structure, technology, and archival sources (with a contribution by Mogens Bencard), this book explores figural and floral velvets produced in Safavid Iran. Comprising one of the greatest technical achievements in textile production prior to the industrial age, these textiles are housed in Copenhagen's Rosenborg Palace and represent cultural exchanges and economic ventures that date from the diplomatic history of the 17th century. ISBN 87-89542-26-6.

Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 2018

A double special issue of the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, honouring the memory of Reza S... more A double special issue of the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, honouring the memory of Reza Sarhangi (1952-2016), edited by Carol Bier. Articles explore many aspects of intersectionality in mathematics and the arts, introduced by guest editor, Carol Bier. Articles include Intersecting Squares: Applied Geometry in the Architecture of Timurid Samarkand (Mamoun Sakkal), Hyperbolic Isocoronal Tilings (Eduard C. Taganap and Ma. Louise Antonette N. De Las Peñas), Infinity Flower IV (Phil Webster), Marjorie Rice and the MAA Tiling (Doris Schattschneider), Doing the Jitterbug with Islamic Geometric Patterns (Jay Bonner), Ruler, Compass, and Nail: Constructing a Total Spherical Perspective (António Bandeira Araújo), Star Taker: Art, Science, and Mathematics in an Astrolabe from Fourteenth-Century Spain (Patricia Bentley), Möbius Bridges (Carlo H. Séquin), Two Bridges (a poem by Sarah Glaz).

Iranian Studies, 2008

Articles on geometry in medieval Persian sciences and the arts, and science and technology in med... more Articles on geometry in medieval Persian sciences and the arts, and science and technology in medieval and early modern Iran are drawn from two successive sessions of the Sixth Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies, held in London in 2006. The organizers and session chairs, Elaheh Kheirandish, Carol Bier, and Najm al-Din Yousefi seek to address underrepresented areas in historical studies of the sciences and crafts between the third/ninth and twelfth/eighteenth centuries, and to introduce analytical and interpretive frameworks that offer both historical and contemporary perspectives regarding the production of knowledge and its simultaneous expression in sciences and crafts.

Articles and Book Chapters by Carol Bier

Textile Museum Journal, v. 29-30, 1991

How important is the condition of a carpet? From a curatorial perspective, the condition of any g... more How important is the condition of a carpet? From a curatorial perspective, the condition of any given carpet is both relative and changing. It derives from the interaction of several forces that have affected that carpet and its particular heritage, materials, usage, and context. Focusing on acquisition, research, and presentation, this essay presents the personal perspective of a curator at The Textile Museum in Washington, DC. The article is a contribution to a thematic issue of the Textile Museum Journal addressing the conservation of carpets.

Textile Museum Journal v.31, 1992

The elements of plane symmetry are studied in relation to patterns in Oriental carpets. It is by... more The elements of plane symmetry are studied in relation to patterns in Oriental carpets. It is by the juxtaposition, manipulation, and repetition of four basic symmetries, referred to in crystallography as translation, rotation, reflection, glide reflection. Through the sequential knotting in carpet-weaving, patterns emerge. Groups of plane symmetry are operative in creating the appearance of complexity in overall repeat patterns.

Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 2010

Drawing upon artistic cultural expressions of the Turkmen people in carpets, mathematical topics ... more Drawing upon artistic cultural expressions of the Turkmen people in carpets, mathematical topics are introduced for grades K-12. Examples come from the exhibition, "For Tent and Trade: Masterpieces of Turkmen Weaving," organized by the M. H. De Young Memorial Museum of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which offered new opportunities to explore aspects of mathematics in Turkmen rugs. We present educational resources developed for the Education Department of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, initially designed for a teacher-training workshop held in conjunction with this exhibition. Following an introduction to the Turkmen people and their historic dependence on pastoralism, we explore mathematical aspects of Turkmen carpets. These explorations address various topics within the mathematics curriculum and are suggested for different age groups: counting units and fractions (K-5); symmetry and geometry (grades 6-8); algorithms (high school).

Embroideries and Carpets of Uzbekistan in Foreign Collections, 2017

Book chapter in Embroideries and Carpets of Uzbekistan in Foreign Collections , ed. Elmira Gyul, ... more Book chapter in Embroideries and Carpets of Uzbekistan in Foreign Collections , ed. Elmira Gyul, pp. 287-313, published as part of a series of books dedicated to the 25th Anniversary of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Tashkent. The chapter addresses Uzbek embroidery in the collection of Arnerican collector and philanthropist Doris Duke (1912-1993) at her home, Shangri La, in Honolulu, Hawaii (now Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design . Of the fifteen suzani in her collection, several are considered masterpieces of Uzbek embroidery. She purchased quite a few from merchants in India while on her around-the-world honeymoon in 1935; others were acquired later at auction. Brightly colored silk yarn is standard, with some metallic-wrapped yarns, embroidered on linen or cotton foundation fabrics. The collection represents a variety of functions and sizes, a range of regional styles (Bukhara and neighboring areas; Tashkent; Samarkand) and different embroidery stitches (chain stitch and variations, self-couching stitches, satin stitch and variations, running stitch). Doris Duke used these fabrics as household furnishings among her many cherished objects of Islamic art, which she had collected over six decades. But she also displayed suzanis on walls throughout the house and in the patio. Historical photographs are included in the chapter.

7. Internationale Konferenz für Orientteppiche : Vorträge, Postersessions = 7th International Conference on Oriental Carpets : papers, presentations.” Düsseldorf [Germany: [Academic Committee of the 7th International Conference on Oriental Carpets], 1993

The most famous pile-weavings of Safavid Iran, otherwise known as Persian carpets, are monumental... more The most famous pile-weavings of Safavid Iran, otherwise known as Persian carpets, are monumental in scale, complex in design, and well studied in the literature of Islamic art. Other pile-weavings of Safavid Iran, less well-known - and technologically far more complex - are Persian velvets of the 17th century, scattered in museums and private collections. The largest corpus (61 fragments) resides at Rosenborg in Copenhagen. This initial presentation at the International Conference on Oriental Carpets in Hamburg (1993) led to publication of The Persian Velvets at Rosenborg by Carol Bier (1995).

Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings, 2020

Five textile scholars present different perspectives on their traveling seminar in India (Februar... more Five textile scholars present different perspectives on their traveling seminar in India (February/March 2020): Introduction and Research Goals (Barbara Setsu Pickett); Textiles and Architecture - including section on naqsha and logic (Carol Bier): Historical Textiles in Museum Collections (Louise W. Mackie and Anna Jolly); The Indian Drawloom, the Naqsha and Velvet from a Weaver’s Point of View (Barbara Setsu Pickett); Sustainability and Design Influences (Annin Barrett); Reflections on a team approach to field research; Bibliography.

Overturning Certainties in Near Eastern Archaeology: A Festschrift in Honor of K. Aslhan Yener, 2017

The marble minbar of the Selimiye mosque in Edirne that was designed by the Ottoman architect, Si... more The marble minbar of the Selimiye mosque in Edirne that was designed by the Ottoman architect, Sinan, and completed in 1575, bears a circular medallion of carved and pierced openwork in each of its triangular framing walls. The carved circular patterns are unusual in having radial symmetry with local five-fold and ten-fold rotations, but no periodic repeat. This contribution explores the relationship of this late 16th-century design to a similar array generated by X-ray diffraction of aluminum alloys, identified as a quasiperiodic pattern, which garnered the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The 16th-century appearance of this pattern in an architectural context is attributed to the deliberate and conscientious attention to elements of geometry in the training of Ottoman architects, which drew upon a long tradition of geometric patterns in Islamic art.

Encyclopedia of Archaeology, 2008

Textiles and archaeology have a complex relationship. Textiles are pervasive in virtually all soc... more Textiles and archaeology have a complex relationship. Textiles are pervasive in virtually all societies, but their pervasive presence and cultural importance is not reflected in the archaeological record. As products of technology, objects of trade, markers of identity, and bearers of constructed meanings, and sometimes as works of art, textiles can convey massive amounts of information about human societies and their economies. They represent a range of forms and functions; they are expressive of cultural ideals and norms, government decrees, and human ideals, desires, and aspirations. Textiles articulate relationships among individuals, identities, and cultural groupings. Representing sophisticated understandings of materials and their properties, and manipulated through diverse technologies, textiles embody human ingenuity, creativity, and pragmatic solutions to everyday problems of
the human condition. In spite of their profound significance, they factor minimally in the archaeological record due to a variety of factors such as their fragile nature, organic composition, patterns of use and wear, and general tendency to decompose in most environments. Article explores what we know of textiles and archaeology in Egypt and the Near, Asia, and the Americas.

Symmetry: Art and Science, 2022

Symmetry is the organizing principle that underlies patternmaking in compound woven textiles of 1... more Symmetry is the organizing principle that underlies patternmaking in compound woven textiles of 17th century Iran. Persian velvets are particularly noteworthy for their complicated weave structure. What defines compound weaves is the interlacing of more than one set of warps (longitu-dinal elements held under tension at the loom) with wefts (transverse elements). Velvets introduce an additional set of supplementary warps held under differential tension. The weaving of a com-pound textile requires both a pattern harness and a structure harness for the interaction of warps and wefts. A weaver on the bench manipulates the structure harness for each passage of the weft introduced while weaving; a drawboy, positioned above the loom, manipulates the warps that are dressed upon the loom prior to weaving. The drawboy’s actions are guided by a naqsh, or ma-quette, affixed to the loom, which serves as the pattern harness. The role of the naqshbandi (literally, the one who ties the naqsh) cannot be underestimated in preparing the naqsh for Persian velvets and other compound weaves. The naqsh effectively programs the sequence of raising warps to cre-ate the shed for any given passage of the weft. The pattern repeat, established in the naqsh, is a technical unit that is technologically determined by the protocols of drawloom-weaving. Persian velvets of the 17th century typically represent three symmetry groups, reflecting the parameters of drawloom technology - periodicity (translation) of technical repeat units exhibit parallel glide re-flections (pg) or reflections and parallel glide reflections across the warp axis (cm), or perpendicu-lar reflections and glide reflections across both warp and weft axes (cmm).

Horizons in Humanities and Social Sciences, 2017

The celebrated Islamic galleries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York reopened in 2011 a... more The celebrated Islamic galleries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York reopened in 2011 as “Galleries for the Art of Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia.” Other major collections of Islamic art have been reorganized and reinstalled in Berlin, Cairo, Cleveland, Copenhagen, Detroit, Kuwait, London, Los Angeles, Paris, and Singapore, and new museums of Islamic art have been established in Doha, Qatar; Honolulu, Hawaii; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Sharjah, U.A.E. In addition, the first museum in North America dedicated to Islamic art recently opened in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This article explores this global phenomenon,
identifying it as both a literal and conceptual “reframing of Islamic art for the 21st century,” setting the world stage for new developments
in cultural understanding.

The Historiography of Persian Architecture, 2015

From Owen Jones' Grammar of Ornament compiled in the middle of the 19th century to the discovery ... more From Owen Jones' Grammar of Ornament compiled in the middle of the 19th century to the discovery of quasicrystals in the late 20th century, and the exploration of 12th-century decagonal and quasiperiodic tilings in Iran, the interpretation of ornament in Islamic architecture has undergone profound reassessment in the past 150 years. This article brings to bear the brick decoration of four monuments of the 11th and 12th centuries that expanded the repertory of Islamic geometric patterns, contributing to the discourse on Islamic ornament and its underlying mathematical significance, making geometry manifest.

Symmetry: Art and Science, 2019

The Aleppo minbar (pulpit for Friday sermons) is a monumental architectural sculpture, commission... more The Aleppo minbar (pulpit for Friday sermons) is a monumental architectural sculpture, commissioned in the middle of the 12th century in Aleppo, Syria, by Nur al-Din al-Zangi, who was ruling from Damascus. Envisioning the end of the Crusades, Nur al-Din sought to place the minbar in the Aqsa Mosque after Muslims reclaimed Jerusalem, where it was installed in 1187 by the Ayyubid ruler, Saladin. Richly ornamented with many geometric forms and designs, the wooden minbar expresses an algorithmic Islamic aesthetic based on symmetry, with patterns that imply an infinite expanse contained within borders. Manifesting an aesthetic that persisted for generations into the present, the Aleppo minbar broadly engages the intersecting trajectories of craft production and knowledge, symmetry and beauty, mathematics and pattern, religion and politics, architectural forms and theological concepts. As a monumental expression of beauty, the minbar represents the epitome of Islamic art in its time. This paper was presented at the International Symmetry Conference in Kanazawa Japan in November 2019.

Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, 2015

Geometric patterns in two and three dimensions comprise one of the key characteristics of arts an... more 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 well as many unanswered questions (Grabar, 1992). From the eleventh century throughout the central Islamic lands, the clustered and segmented vaults of muqarnas were used to effect spatial transitions for domes, vaults, and arches, or as a corbel to support balconies and cornices (Bloom, 1988; Tabbaa, 1985), exhibiting elaborations in succeeding centuries (Al-Assad, 1995; Golombek & Wilber, 1988). Simultaneously, one may trace the development of patterns in the plane from the empirical juxtaposition of geometric shapes to more complex arrangements with networks of intersecting polygons, which suggest direct relationships to academic studies of geometry in the Euclidean tradition (cf. Allen, 2004, who argues against such an interpretation). Yet precise intersections between the histories of architecture and mathematics have not been fully elucidated (Berggren, 2008; Bier, 2012; see also, Necipoğlu, 2015).

Nexus Network Journal, 2012

Of several brick tomb towers constructed at Maragha in western Iran before the Mongol conquests, ... more Of several brick tomb towers constructed at Maragha in western Iran before the Mongol conquests, one in particular, Gonbad-e Qabud (593 H. / 1196-97 C.E.), has generated significant recent attention for its unique patterns with pentagons and decagons. Gonbad-e Qabud is also unusual in having a decagonal plan. While both plan and decoration distinguish it from earlier and later towers at Maragha and elsewhere on the Iranian plateau, the ornamental patterns follow a long line of experimentation with geometric expressions that grace many pre-Mongol buildings in Iran. This article examines in particular the overlapping polygons and radial symmetries of the tympanum of the cubic Gonbad-e Sork (542 H. / 1148 C.E.) at Maragha, and the pentagons and squares of the tympanum of the later octagonal tomb tower (486 H. / 1093 C.E.) nearby at Kharraqan. Drawing from archival sources (plans, elevations, photographs), analysis of plane patterns, and comparative architectural data, this article reevaluates the cultural significance of Gonbad-e Qabud, seeking to situate it within the histories of mathematics, architecture, and the arts.

Iranian Studies, 2008

This article seeks to develop an interpretation of ornament as geometric pattern that embodies m... more This article seeks to develop an interpretation of ornament as geometric pattern that
embodies metaphysical intent in Iranian monuments of the fifth/eleventh century. The
proposed argument elucidates cultural meaning relevant to a particular time and specific
place, with implications for broader application.1 Reading geometric patterns as visual
commentary, this approach relates the presence of patterns in art accompanied by a
Qur’anic inscription to both the practice of pattern-making and the contemporary
discourse concerning mathematics, philosophy, and the Islamic sciences in Iran. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of a passage from the Qur’an (59:21–24) inscribed on the tomb towers at Kharraqa¯n, in which the Qur’anic term, amtha¯l, is taken literally to refer to the patterns executed on the monuments.

Proceedings of Bridges 2017: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Education, Culture, eds. D. Swart, C. H. Sequin, and K. Fenyvesi. Pp. 419-422, 2017

The recent exhibition (2017), ”Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Isl... more The recent exhibition (2017), ”Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art,” organized by the Center for the Arts & Religion at the Graduate Theological Union afforded an opportunity for me as curator to reconsider the definition of ‘traditional Islamic art.’ This effort led to the identification of an algorithmic aesthetic of pattern that characterizes artistic production in all media from the 9th through the 12th centuries in what were then Islamic lands, centered in Baghdad, but extending from Spain across North Africa through the Middle East and Iran to Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. Published in Proceedings of Bridges 2017: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Education, Culture, eds. D. Swart, C. H. Sequin, and K. Fenyvesi. Pp. 419-422

Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art, 2017

The Persian Velvets at Rosenborg, 1995

Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 2018

Iranian Studies, 2008

Textile Museum Journal, v. 29-30, 1991

Textile Museum Journal v.31, 1992

Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 2010

Embroideries and Carpets of Uzbekistan in Foreign Collections, 2017

Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings, 2020

Overturning Certainties in Near Eastern Archaeology: A Festschrift in Honor of K. Aslhan Yener, 2017

Encyclopedia of Archaeology, 2008

Symmetry: Art and Science, 2022

Horizons in Humanities and Social Sciences, 2017

The Historiography of Persian Architecture, 2015

Symmetry: Art and Science, 2019

Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, 2015

Nexus Network Journal, 2012

Iranian Studies, 2008

Proceedings of Bridges 2017: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Education, Culture, eds. D. Swart, C. H. Sequin, and K. Fenyvesi. Pp. 419-422, 2017

Bridges London 2006: Mathematical Connections in Art, Music, and Science, ed. Reza Sarhangi and John Sharp (London: Tarquin, 2006), 2006

As an historian of Islamic art in the Department of Art History at the Maryland Institute College... more As an historian of Islamic art in the Department of Art History at the Maryland Institute College of Art, I am continually learning as I endeavor to teach my students about pattern. Teaching about pattern in Islamic art has facilitated my own exploration of geometry in ways that also benefits my students. This visual presentation explores the results of a single assignment that pertains to coloring a linear plate reproduced in Bourgoin’s classic work, Arabic Geometrical Pattern and Design.

MuensterMathematics Education for the Future Project: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference Mathematics Education in a Connected World, ed. A. Rogerson , 2015

Getting students involved in careful observation and analysis and encouraging their exploration o... more Getting students involved in careful observation and analysis and encouraging their exploration of cultural forms of expression is an excellent means of introducing mathematical ideas. Geometric patterns abound in Islamic art and architecture. Exhibiting great ingenuity over the centuries, Muslim artists and craftsmen created beautiful patterns to adorn architectural monuments and exquisite objects. The Alhambra in Spain and the Taj Mahal in India offer the most famous examples of extraordinary patterns using brick and glazed tile, or carved and inlaid marble. Other examples of patterns are made using metal, wood, and fiber. Students may gain conceptual and theoretical understanding of patterns through activities and hands-on exercises that relate circles to centers, axes and grids, symmetry and tessellations. Through folding and cutting, drawing and coloring, one learns about relationships among number, shape, and the nature of space, which so characterize geometric patterns seen in Islamic architecture, silk textiles, illuminated manuscripts, wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl, carved stone, and other materials, contributing to a beauty of form, pattern, and structure. Introduction Properties of the circle are fundamental to geometry. Circles and their centers underlie the formation of many geometric patterns in Islamic art across time and space from Spain in the west to India and the east, north into Central Asia and south of the Sahara in Africa. Not only in historic monuments, geometric patterns are also characteristic of Islamic art today around the globe where such patterns at times serve as cultural markers. Depending on location, students can take local walks, or they may use postcards or digital images to serve as a basis for analysis, or color line drawings to gain an understanding of two-dimensional patterns, which are based on points, lines, and angles in the plane. Whatever the activity, careful observation, reflection, and analysis draw students into geometry in an manner that is experiential and memorable, and may also instill an awareness of cultural issues and sensitivity. Sources to Study Islamic Geometric Patterns Print resources (see References: Books and Articles, below) provide numerous photographs of Islamic geometric patterns, and some include diagrams and analyses, along with discussion (Critchlow 1976; El-Said and Parman 1976; El-Said 1993; Broug 2013). Websites and online databases offer easy access to images (see References: On-Line Resources, below). Islamic geometric patterns abound on historic monuments in many locations, including Cordoba and Granada in Spain, Fez and Casablanca in Morocco,

Iranian Studies, 2008

Prelude introduces and contextualizes four articles in a special issue of the journal of Iranian ... more Prelude introduces and contextualizes four articles in a special issue of the journal of Iranian Studies devoted to "Sciences, Crafts, and the Production of Knowledge: Iran and Eastern Islamic Lands (ca. 184–1153 AH/800–1740 CE)": Sonja Brentjis, Euclid's 'Elements,' Courtly Patronage and Princely Education; Elaheh Kheirandish, Science and Mithāl: Demonstrations in Arabic and Persian Scientific Traditions; Carol Bier, Art and Mithāl: Reading Geometry as Visual Commentary; Reza Sarhangi, Illustrating Abu al-Wafā' Būzjānī: Flat Images, Spherical Constructions.

Textile History 53/2, 2022

Bier, Carol. 2022. “Sea Change: Ottoman Textiles between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean: ... more Bier, Carol. 2022. “Sea Change: Ottoman Textiles between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean: Amanda Phillips, University of California Press, Oakland, 2021. 360 Pp., 69 Col.Illus., 2 b/w Illus., 10 Line Drawings, 1 Map. £50.00. ISBN: 9780520303591.” Textile History 53 (2): 258–60. doi:10.1080/00404969.2022.2356975

Journal of Mathematics and the Arts , 2024

Mathematical affinities abound.Diversity and beauty stand out in this alluring compilation of ima... more Mathematical affinities abound.Diversity and beauty stand out in this alluring compilation of images of magnificent monuments of Islamic architecture from around the world. Geometric patterns in the plane based on symmetry, and solid forms such as polyhedra, domes, vaults, squinches, and intersecting arches, are but a few of the manifold references to mathematics in Islamic architecture that are exemplified. Of particular note is the muqarnas, a peculiarly Islamic architectural feature composed of intersecting vault segments – an astonishing array is depicted. Organized by region and global in scope, this volume presents a spectrum of creativity in Islamic architecture, from the advent of Islam to the present.

Journal of the American Oriental Society, 2013

Review of Textile Terminologies in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean from the Third to the ... more Review of Textile Terminologies in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean from the Third to the First Millennia BC. Edited by C. Michel and M.-L. Nosch. Ancient Textile Studies, vol. 8. Oxford UK and Oakville, CT: Oxbow Books, 2010. Pp. xix + 444, illus. $70.

Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 2019

Book Review, Gülru Necipoğlu, ed. The Arts of Ornamental Geometry: A Persian Compendium on Simila... more Book Review, Gülru Necipoğlu, ed. The Arts of Ornamental Geometry: A Persian Compendium on Similar and Complementary Interlocking Figures. A Volume Commemorating Alpay Özdural (Brill, 2017), an interdisciplinary study of an unsigned, undated manuscript containing geometric diagrams and text, in the Bibliothèque national, Paris. The edited volume is based upon the work of Özdural (d. 2003) with contributions by Jan P. Hogendijk ( history of mathematics), Elaheh Kheirandish (history of science), Gülru Necipoğlu (history of art), Wheeler M. Thackston (Persian language and literature).

Textile Society of America Newsletter, Spring 2019, pp. 20-22, 2019

Review of "Contemporary Muslim Fashions," an exhibition held in San Francisco, California, at the... more Review of "Contemporary Muslim Fashions," an exhibition held in San Francisco, California, at the De Young Museum (22 September 2018 - 6 January 2019).

Textile Society of America Newsletter, 2007

Review of an exhibition, Cosmophilia: Islamic Art from the David Collection, Copenhagen, organize... more Review of an exhibition, Cosmophilia: Islamic Art from the David Collection, Copenhagen, organized by the Isabella V. McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue of the same title published in 2006 by Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom, who also served as curators, selecting objects in collaboration with the David Collection. The exhibition contains more than 100 outstanding objects of Islamic art, and includes more than 20 significant textiles. This review focuses on textile technologies, considering design in relation to pattern-making. The textiles represent diverse geographic origins (Yemen, Spain, India, Egypt, Central Asia, Turkey and Iran), with dates ranging from the 7th through the 19th centuries. Linen, cotton, wool and silk, traditional textile materials, are all present, as are pashmina and gilt yarns of several varieties. Craftsmanship, quality of materials, designs and patterns distinguish this rich selection of textiles, representing many different textile technologies: weaving, velvet-weaving, double interlocked twill tapestry, embroidery, compound weave structures, warp-resist patterning (ikat), and supplementary weft-wrapping (pile carpet-weaving).

Textile Society of America Newsletter 28/1, pp. 18-19, 2016

Edited by textile historian Thelma K. Thomas, Associate Professor at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts... more Edited by textile historian Thelma K. Thomas, Associate Professor at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, this beautifully illustrated book advances scholarship on textiles of Late Antiquity with interpretive essays by curators, conservators, and historians. As a scholarly contribution offering a critical reappraisal of clothing and furnishings of the Late Antique world, it complements an exhibition of the same title held at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in 2016.
Edited by Thelma K. Thomas, with contributions by Jennifer L. Ball, Edward Bleiberg, Kathrin Colburn, Helen C. Evans, Christine Kondoleon, Brandie Ratliff, Thelma K. Thomas, Elizabeth D. Williams.
Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press and Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University, 2016. 152 p.
ISBN: 978-0691169422

Journal of Mathematics and The Arts, 2012

Book Review by Carol Bier of Laura U. Marks, Enfoldment and Infinity: An Islamic Genealogy of New... more Book Review by Carol Bier of Laura U. Marks, Enfoldment and Infinity: An Islamic Genealogy of New Media Art (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2010)

Ghereh: International Carpet & Textile Review, 2004

A curator's perspective on The Textile Museum's 27th Rug Convention, "Indian Textile Traditions, ... more A curator's perspective on The Textile Museum's 27th Rug Convention, "Indian Textile Traditions, Exchanges and Transformations," held at the Jury's Washington Hotel and at The Textile Museum, Friday - Sunday, 15-17 October 2004, in conjunction with two exhibitions organized by The Textile Museum: "Floral Perspectives in Carpet Design" (Sumru Belger Krody and Lydia Fraser, curators) and "A Garden of Shawls: The Buta and Its Seeds" (Eunice Dauterman Maguire, curator). Review addresses aspects of geography, trade, economics, politics, technology, fashion, and cultural identity across time and space from diverse perspectives.

Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 2012

Report of an exhibition of mathematical art held July 27-31, 2011, in Coimbra, Portugal, as part ... more Report of an exhibition of mathematical art held July 27-31, 2011, in Coimbra, Portugal, as part of the annual conferences of the Bridges Organization (bridgesmathart.org), a global community of mathematicians, artists, architects, and art historians. The report makes contextual reference to the University of Coimbra (founded 1295) and the relevance of its architectural monuments to mathematics and arts: Situated in the upper town (‘Cidade alta’) atop a hill overlooking the Mondego River, the university landscape incorporates Renaissance monuments, a Baroque library, and physics and chemistry lecture halls of the nineteenth century. Just below the summit are the remains of the substructure of the Roman Forum with its network of intersecting barrel vaults and a series of semi-circular arches on piers supporting a substantial aqueduct to bring water to the Roman city. At lower elevations are the Arab city gates with their typical arches that extend the arc of the circle beyond the horizontal diameter, and several magnifi-cent Romanesque churches of the twelfth century.

Textile Society of America Newsletter 29/2, pp. 24 - 25, 2017

Review by Carol Bier of "Sacred Scraps: Quilt and Patchwork Traditions of Central Asia," by Chris... more Review by Carol Bier of "Sacred Scraps: Quilt and Patchwork Traditions of Central Asia," by Christine Martens, published by the International Quilt and Study Center, Lincoln, Nebraska (2017)

Iranian Studies, 2012

Beyond the impenetrable ambiguity of the title, the inquiring reader is richly rewarded in this b... more Beyond the impenetrable ambiguity of the title, the inquiring reader is richly rewarded in this book, exploring Persian inscriptions on architectural monuments, reminding us of the historically important connections of neighboring lands that share a Persian literary heritage, covering a broad geographic sweep (Pakistan, Kashmir, India, Bangladesh, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan Tajikistan, and beyond).
Book review by Carol Bier of Bernard O'Kane, The Appearance of Persian on Islamic Art (2009) in Iranian Studies (2012) 45/2, pp. 312-14.

Textile Society of America Newsletter 19/1 (2007), pp. 9-10, 2007

Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2000

Bier, Carol. Book review of Islamische Textilkunst des Mittelalters: Aktuelle Probleme. Riggisber... more Bier, Carol. Book review of Islamische Textilkunst des Mittelalters: Aktuelle Probleme. Riggisberger Berichte 5. Abegg-Stiftung, Riggisberg (1997), in Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 59/2, 2000, pp. 158–159. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/545640.

Journal of Near Eastern Studies 58/3 (1999), pp. 215-16, 1999

This publication presents 29 superb photographs of a selection of outstanding Late Antique textil... more This publication presents 29 superb photographs of a selection of outstanding Late Antique textiles from among the more than 1500 textiles classified as Coptic in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Carpets of Andalusia, 2003

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 8 March - 10 A... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 8 March - 10 August 2003.

Mamluk Rugs from Egypt: Jewels of The Textile Museum's Collection, 2003

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 28 March - 7 S... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 28 March - 7 September 2003.

A Calligrapher's Art: Inscribed Cotton Ikat from Yemen, 2001

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 26 January - 2... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 26 January - 29 April 2001.

Symmetry & Pattern: The Art of Oriental Carpets, 1996

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 4 October 1996... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 4 October 1996 - 23 February 1997.

ORIENTAL CARPETS have long been appreciated for their beauty. That beauty is achieved through the... more ORIENTAL CARPETS have long been appreciated for their beauty. That beauty is achieved through the choice of colors and designs, as well as by the manipulation of designs and colors to form pleasing patterns.
Patterns in Oriental carpets are never quite what you expect - a surprise here, a flourish there, a change of color, the flip or rotation of a design where you might not predict it. The more you look, the more variations you will find. How can we explain this phenomenon? Is it the result of human choice, or human error?
The study of symmetry offers one approach to analyzing patterns in Oriental carpets. Through symmetry analysis we may identify areas of pattern that exhibit expected repetitions, and areas that vary from that expectation.
Based on my exhibition at The Textile Museum in 1996, this award-winning website I developed with the Math Forum at Swarthmore while I was on sabbatical in 1996/7. It was hosted by The Math Forum for several years, then migrated to The Math Forum at Drexel University, and ultimately landed with the Math Forum Files at National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. NCTM took it down in January 2021, so I am posting the best-preserved version I could find on the Wayback Machine.

Rugs and Textiles of Late Imperial China, 1994

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view in 1994. Drawn... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view in 1994. Drawn from The Textile Museum and loans from private collections.

Falcons and Flowers: Safavid Persian Textile Arts, 1993

Brochure of a loan exhibition of Persian velvets of the Safavid period (17th century), organized ... more Brochure of a loan exhibition of Persian velvets of the Safavid period (17th century), organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, in cooperation with Rosenborg Palace, Copenhagen, on view 15 October 1993 - 1 May 1994.

What is an Oriental Carpet?, 1993

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 15 October 199... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 15 October 1993 - 1 May 1994. Have you ever just stared at an Oriental carpet? Or wondered what makes it so attractive, fascinating, or puzzling? Drawn from The Textile Museum's collections of carpets from Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, Central Asia, and India, this exhibition seeks to address visitors' basic questions regarding patterns, designs, and aesthetics, as well as to consider the utilitarian functions of rugs and carpets, how they were made, and the significance of their cultural origins and impact as trade goods.

Bukhara: Traditional Weavings from Pre-Soviet Central Asia, 1992

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view in 1992-1993. ... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view in 1992-1993. Drawn from The Textile Museum collections..

A Kurdish Reed Screen, 1992

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view in 1992. Focus... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view in 1992. Focused on a reed screen in The Textile Museum collections..

Beyond the Pyramids: Geometry and Design in the Carpets of Egypt, 1450-1750, 1991

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 1 June 1991 - ... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, on view 1 June 1991 - 16 February 1992. Mamluk carpets present a paradox. Among the most beautiful of all Oriental carpets, they are also the least understood. Questions such as who made them and for whom, and how they were used, remain unanswered. Those produced during the rule of Mamluk sultans in Egypt in the late 15th century are arguably the finest carpets ever produced anywhere. They are distinguished by the dominance and simplicity of geometric forms: squares and rectangles, octagons and eight-pointed stars, yet intricate designs reflect a superlative play between color and geometric form that creates complex patterns.

Visions of Infinity: Design and Pattern in Oriental Carpets, 1990

Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, on view 19 August 1990 - 24 February 1... more Brochure of an exhibition organized by The Textile Museum, on view 19 August 1990 - 24 February 1991. A fascination with color and geometric form expressed in Islamic art, here explored in patterns perceived in two-dimensions in carpets drawn from The Textile Museum's collection, dating from the 15th-19th century, and reflecting regional design traditions from Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, and Central Asia. Typically, designs are repeated systematically, implying infinity, bounded by borders. A profusion of patterns contributes to the sense of complexity and intricacy.

Dragons, Blossoms, Sunbursts: Textile Arts of the Caucasus, 1989

Brochure of an exhibition of textile arts of the Caucasus, including carpets, held at The Textile... more Brochure of an exhibition of textile arts of the Caucasus, including carpets, held at The Textile Museum in Washington DC in 1989.

Woven from the Soul, Spun from the Heart: Textile Arts of Safavid and Qajar Iran (1986-87), 1986

Brochure of an exhibition of textiles and related arts organized by The Textile Museum, Washingto... more Brochure of an exhibition of textiles and related arts organized by The Textile Museum, Washington, D.C., on view 7 November 1986 - 29 January 1987. Topics addressed: Meaning and Metaphor, Court and Commerce, Textiles and Trade, Textiles and Technology, Commodity and Consumption, Pasture and Product.

Ghereh. International Carpet & Textile Review, 1996

L'eredità di Tamerlano. Un piccolo tappeto al Textile Museum. Taher Sabahi - Carol Bier

Graduate Theological Union, 2011

Horizons in Humanities and Social Sciences 2/1, 2016

Review of a book and exhibition of same title, "Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired b... more Review of a book and exhibition of same title, "Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art," held at the Center for the Arts and Religion, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley CA in 2017.
Published in Horizons in Humanities and Social Sciences 2/1 (2016), pp. 81-83.

Currents, 2017

Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art, curated by Carol Bier... more Reverberating Echoes: Contemporary Art Inspired by Traditional Islamic Art, curated by Carol Bier (Visiting Scholar, Center for Islamic Studies), presents work by seven artists of diverse backgrounds, who share a common source of inspiration in Islamic visual culture. Chris Palmer folds single sheets of silk into intricate patterned displays, drawing from both Islamic geometric motifs and Japanese paper-folding tradition; Nazanin Hedayat Munroe reflects on her Persian heritage with an installation about poetry and destiny; and Manzar Rassouli’s featured works demonstrate her shift from highlighting beauty to breaking with tradition. Some visitors are fascinated by Phil Webster’s 3-D printed lamp, while others are moved by the Arabic text in Mamoun Sakkal’s commercial prints. Guests are drawn to Nathan Voirol’s stunning textiles and drawings, and to Hooman Koliji’s light-filled architectural drawings.
Despite the artists’ different backgrounds, subjects, and working methods and materials, their artworks seem to call across the gallery space, often in unexpected ways. Visitors give life to the show by making connections and contributing their own perspectives. We are constantly reminded that the arts can connect and sustain us across traditions, cultures, and faiths, a lesson that bears repeating in these troubled times.

Brief study guide prepared for a lecture December 6, 2019 on Sufism, Beauty, Love: Ecstasy and Ra... more Brief study guide prepared for a lecture December 6, 2019 on Sufism, Beauty, Love: Ecstasy and Rapture of Islam in Asia, presented as part of the Arts of Asia Fall 2019 Lecture Series on Seeking the Divine: The Lesser-Known Religious Traditions of Asia, sponsored by the Society for Asian Art (San Francisco).

Brief study guide prepared for a lecture on Mathematics and the Divine in Islamic Art, presented ... more Brief study guide prepared for a lecture on Mathematics and the Divine in Islamic Art, presented March 5, 2021, as part of the Arts of Asia Spring 2021 Lecture Series, The Power of Images in Asian Art: Making the Invisible Visible, sponsored by the Society for Asian Art (San Francisco).

Journal of the American Oriental Society, 2015

This beautifully illustrated volume introduces a little-known but outstanding collection of Asian... more This beautifully illustrated volume introduces a little-known but outstanding collection of Asian textiles in the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas. Focusing on 95 textiles from the Indian subcontinent, Iran, China, and Japan, the book employs a wide variety of source materials including archaeological reports, 19th century travellers' journals, trade documents, literature and paintings, to place each textile in a resonant context. Written for both the specialist and a general audience. It places fresh research within a comprehensive socio-historic context that includes information about technique, production iconography, function, patronage, and trade. Fully illustrated with maps, this volume also includes a glossary, index, and catalogue of the complete collection.

Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 2012

Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 2018

Reza Sarhangi (1952-2016), as a mathematician, educator, and artist, had a profound impact on man... more Reza Sarhangi (1952-2016), as a mathematician, educator, and artist, had a profound impact on many interdisciplinary approaches to the study and teaching of mathematics and the arts. His vision and enthusiasm embraced and energized an international community of individuals engaged in explorations of intersections of art and mathematics. His legacy lives on despite his unexpected and premature death [9]. He is best known for the success of his visionary endeavours surrounding the establishment of the Bridges Conference (Mathematical Connections in Art, Music, and Science), which has been transformative in the fields of math and art. With the great breadth of his interdisciplinary interests, coupled with his love of engaging people and ideas, he founded Bridges on a model developed by Nat Friedman, professor of mathematics at the State University of New York-Albany, for art-math conferences (1992-1998). Since its founding in 1998, Bridges has met annually (Figure 1) [3, 5], attracting an ever larger cadre of artists, mathematicians, teachers, computer scientists, and the occasional art historian. Bridges began when Reza was teaching at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, and it moved with him when he moved to Towson University near Baltimore, Maryland. Subsequently, Bridges expanded globally with academic collaborations that Reza negotiated with colleagues and their institutions