File:Central Asia rug.jpg

Carpet, Central Asia 19th century,

The Textile Museum R37.9.1 -- Acquired by George Hewitt Myers in 1914 -- 264.5 x 144 cm The symmetrical motif of flowers in a vase on a stand is familiar from Chinese decorative arts. Chinese designs often influenced designs in carpets from eastern Central Asia. Here, the flowers and background show color alternation within a rectangular grid.

Compare the grid to that in the previous rug image. Then see if you can figure out the symmetries in each of the borders. Look for symmetry-breaking, too. Afterwards, compare these flowers to the more naturalistic floral style of the next rug image, a carpet from Mughal India.

http://mathforum.org/geometry/rugs/gallery/14.html