Byzantine Floor Patterns of Interlocking Twisted Cable Loops

Abstract

The twisted-cable type of patterns is found as Late Roman–Byzantine and early Umayyad floor patterns, with considerable uniformity in texture, colors, and technique. They consist of ‘cables’ which together form circles, circle segments, squares and other visually prominent ornamental elements. Cables mostly form complex closed loops, joined at points of local overlap by interlocking ‘knots’. The loops are the inconspicuous construction elements and several of them participate in each visually prominent segmented circle, square, etc. Majority of these patterns are tetragonal with chiral character, with predominant 2D layer-group symmetry p422. Other symmetries are rare, mostly in circular designs. Most of patterns were dichroically colored using local marbles. The combination of loops and knots generates broad versatility of design and a rich spectrum of extant patterns. The principal artistic heritage of this mosaic style are the Cosmatesque floor patterns of central Italy.