Alhambra, Salon de Comares

The repeated motif of this graphic is taken from the large, complex ceramic mosaic dados in the central, throne alcove in the north wall of the Salon de Comares. This dado includes a number of different 12-fold motifs, which are used individually to form repeating patterns in these graphics. Two such motifs are shown together with other motifs from the same dado, in Alhambra, Salon de Comares, north wall dado (part). The present pattern is common in Morocco, and this type of 12-fold motif seems characteristic of western Islamic geometric ornament.

• The symmetry group of the tiling is *632 (p6m).
• All the internal angles of the constituent polygons are a multiple of 30°.
• Contains one regular hexagon.
• Contains one regular 12-pointed star polygon with vertex angle of 60°.
• There are five non-regular reflective tiles (including one kite).
• The tiling satisfies the interlace condition and has no finite interlace and one infinite interlace with straight cross-overs.
• The tiling is edge-to-edge.
• As drawn, contains about 395 polygons.

1. Page 423, Figure 224 (Alhambra, Salon de Comares, Spain. Part of Plate 35 (3) as a separate tiling) from [fernandez] (14th century AD)
2. Photo by David Wade: MOR 0806/0824/MOR 2428x (Tomb of Moulay Ishmael, Meknes, Morocco) from [wadei] (17th century AD)
3. Fig 14.11b from [ww]
4. Vol 2, page 408 (Royal Palace, Ifrane, Morocco. Inlaid cedar wood) from [paccard]

• Wade photo MOR 0806
• Wade photo MOR 0824
• Wade photo MOR 2428x

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