...This book shows how each pattern is constructed. First showing the over all tiling and revealing the basic unit of each, then showing how the transformational rules ( of rotation and mirroring etc.) are applied. It is amazing how complex a pattern may be created from an extremely simple beginning. It contains a few color plates, but its real strength is in the 250 black and white islamic patterns, each with unit cell, and template motif which demonstrate the constructions. Many of the patterns, analyzed are those originally shown in "Arabic Geometrical Pattern and Design" (Dover Pictorial Archive Series) by J. Bourgoin.
...The first half of the book mainly covers Zalij shapes, the nature and properties of symmetry, invariance groups, the 17 groups, their identification, and algorithms for them.
...This book is perhaps more for those interested in symmetry than those interested in drawing islamic patterns.
...The black and white patterns are all of single line width, and thus show no interlacing.
..."Pattern in Islamic Art" by David Wade, ( isbn 0879510420 ) contains interlace patterns from page 78 to 105, but it is not a book about symmetry, it utilizes a grid method of construction.
..."Islamic Geometric Patterns" by Eric Broug ( SBN-10: 050028721X ISBN-13: 978-0500287217 ) shows the use of a compass on pages 22 and 23 to creat double line width, but has no full plates showing the weaving as does David Wade's book. ( )