Moresque No.4b 1856

Owen Jones crafted this pattern book plate, "Moresque No.4b," with ink and chromolithography. The image bursts with Islamic geometric motifs: stars, interwoven lines, and floral patterns, resonating with the spiritual concept of infinite expansion. Consider the eight-pointed star, a symbol echoing through millennia. We see it in ancient Mesopotamian art, representing the goddess Ishtar, and later, adapted across various cultures as a sign of cosmic order and divine guidance. Here, it’s enmeshed within complex lattices, mirroring the celestial patterns above. Islamic art's geometric abstraction transcends mere decoration; it embodies the sacred, an echo of a higher, unknowable truth. The repetition speaks to something deep within us, triggering recognition of universal forms. The pattern's mesmerizing effect pulls us in, like gazing into a kaleidoscope of cultural memory. Jones, by capturing these forms, taps into an ancient wellspring, reminding us that symbols, like migratory souls, never truly disappear.