Girih, Islimi and Epigraphy: a classification of the decorative systems of Central Asian architectural monuments

Abstract

The decorative programmes of Central Asian architectural monuments constitute one of the most mathematically rigorous and artistically refined ornamental traditions in world art. This article systematises the types, definitions and classification of Central Asian architectural monument decoration on the basis of a comparative analysis of the foundational art-historical literature. A dual classification is substantiated: by motif, ornament divides into girih, islimi and epigraphic systems; by technique and material, it divides into decorative brickwork, carved ganch, carved terracotta, glazed tilework, wood carving and wall painting, including the gilded kundal technique. The historical development of each type is traced from pre-Islamic carved stucco at Varakhsha through the classical flowering of girih in the tenth to twelfth centuries to the Timurid apogee of polychrome tilework and the later kundal tradition. The analysis demonstrates that all ornament, including free vegetal composition, rests on an underlying geometric grid and unfolds according to the structural sequence element-motif-scheme-composition. The regional differentiation of the tradition is characterised through the Khiva and Shahrisabz schools, and the symbolic stratum of the decorative system is disclosed.