Cultural Interactions of Medieval Societies Hidden in The Symmetry of Ornaments

Authors : Mehmet Erbudak

Pages : 145-156

Doi:10.26658/jmr.1376768

View : 114 | Download : 242

Publication Date : 2023-11-03

Article Type : Research

Abstract :We trace the culture on the mosaics of seven medieval civilizations by taking the symmetry of the ornaments found on the mosaics as characteristic evidence for the cultural group in which the artwork is created. We classify the ornaments into 17 wallpaper groups according to their symmetry. Applying the cosine law to the frequency of each symmetry group we calculate the pairwise correlation of the cultural interactions. Finally, a hierarchical cluster analysis is performed on the correlations to find cultural groups that are closely related to each other. The results show the formation of two clusters: The Islamic cluster includes the Arabs and the Seljuk dynasties. The Hellenistic group inspired other Anatolian civilizations and even influenced the Umayyads in Andalusia. These results are consistent with the calculations based on multidimensional scaling. Our work demonstrates the possibility of applying symmetry analysis and statistical methods to the visual arts to reveal valuable details such as the hidden influences in art practice.
Keywords : Bezemeler, simetri, wallpaper grupları, korelasyon, hiyerarşik kümeleme, çok boyutlu ölçekleme