Ian Alexander's Natural Patterns Library : Alphabetical Index

Acorn & Cup : Turkey Oak, Quercus cerris
Aduki : Natural patterns can be simple or splendid, exotic or down-to-ear
Akha : Northern Thailand, Akha tribe, bag, geometric embroidered motif w
Alhambra : Beautiful arabesques in the shape of interlocking ramshorns. Comp
Alligator : Tiling of pattern made by reflecting and rotating alligator skin.
Almond : A scattering of almonds.
Ammonite Sutures : Cretaceous, Folkestone, England The complex suture line visible i
Ammonite Chambers: 2-Dimensional Spiral : Cretaceous ammonite, Gault Clay, Folkestone, Kent Animals such a
Amulet : Magical protection (Turkish: Muska)
Watercolour Paper : Heavily textured high-quality watercolour paper.
Armadillo Back : Tiling of pattern made by armadillo's scales on the back of its b
Armadillo Front : Tiling of pattern made by armadillo's scales on the front of its
Ash Bark : Ash Bark. I didn't notice until afterwards that the lichens on th
Austrian Pine Bark : Tiling made from the bark of the austrian pine, a rich blend of b
Autumn Maple : The glorious natural autumnal colours and patterns of the norther
Autumn Maple Frieze : A frieze made from the out-of-focus background region of the Autu
Backing Card : Brown fibrous card used as a stiff envelope backing.
Rice Terraces : This aerial view of a Balinese landscape shows how the rice terra
Bali Dancers : The glowing colours of Balinese dancers, captured by a local arti
Bali Duck Frieze : A lightly humorous frieze of one of the most characteristic anima
Balloon Seller : Surakarta, Java
Banana : Nature isn't far away: you don't have to leave your kitchen to fi
Banana Stack : Green and yellow bananas still spirally-arranged on their stalks,
Banyan : The Banyan is a magnificent symbol of connectedness, as its multi
Baptistery Doors : Detail of the bronze doors to the Baptistery, Florence, Italy
Bark Splitting : A handsome bark with its ashy blues and browns, fissured longitud
Barley : The softly hairy ear of barley.
Basket : Elephant Grass basket, Ubud Market, Bali
Parang Rusak Batik : This pattern, which exists in many variations, is called Parang R
Beach : Tiling made of beach shells and pebbles.
Beach Balls : Small wisps of plant fibre are felted together by the rolling of
Beans : Plump glossy red kidney-beans.
Beech Bark : I was specially pleased with the abstract effect of this pattern,
Beech Mast : The dried and split shells of the beech nuts lie on the forest fl
Pine Beetle Galleries : Tunnels bored under the bark of a pine trunk. England.
Bindweed: Cylindrical Spiral : Field Bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis The thin supple stems
Bintang Frieze : A memory frieze of happy tropical evenings with freshly grilled f
Birch Bark 1 : The birch is one of the first of our trees to have been named --
Birch Bark 2 : Tiling made of the bark of the silver birch tree.
Birch Bark 3 : Another tiling made of the bark of the silver birch tree, showing
Bird : Bird (wing), symbolising the soul. (Turkish: Kush)
Bird Footprints : Footprints of Heron, Coot, and perhaps Crow on bed of River Thame
Bittern : The perfectly camouflaged bittern is a heron of large reedbeds. N
Blue Water in the Flores Sea : From the side of a boat. Shimmering blue reflections in calm warm
Arches Border : Border from a plate-edge potshard found on the bed of the River T
Blue Bookbinding : Traditional dark blue cloth-covered paper board bookbinding.
Blue Coral : Tiling made of a flat blue coral. The holes are the homes of the
Indian Box : Hand-carved wooden box detail. India.
Bracken Moorland : Moorland hills covered in moor-grass and patches of the invasive
British : British School 16th Century motif from sleeve of a young lady age
Brome Grass : The alternately overlapping scales of the brome grass.
Brown Manila Paper : Strong brown envelope paper.
Buckwheat : The surprising triangular seeds of the Buckwheat.
Cactus : Skeleton of Cactus twig. The holes are where the spines were atta
Tjanting : With the Tjanting a skilled worker carefully applies the wax resi
Tjap : The Tjaps are beautifully made blocks of copper, light and strong
Printing with the Tjap : With the Tjap a skilled worker can quickly p
Castle Wall : Cluny Castle, by Laggan, Scotland
Wave-cut Platform of Chalk and Flints : On the beach at Birling Gap, Sussex, England, the waves have cut
Roundel : Mediaeval Roundel in the ceiling of the Chapter House, York Minst
Romanian Cheese-Press : Wooden cheese-press, hand-carved in traditional style, with Cr
Cheetah : Tiling from the skin pattern of this magnificent cat.
Cherry : Pattern of veins on underside of ornamental cherry leaf.
Cherry Leaf, Fallen : An ordinary Cherry tree leaf, on the ground in December, deep rus
Cherry Leaf, Fallen - Tiling : A tiling made from the same leaf.
Cherubs : Terracotta border for a gate, taken from a former fountain, Milan
Chestnut : This beautiful stellate pattern is from the attachment scar of a
Chestnut Bark : Bark of a mature Sweet Chestnut tree, showing the strong diagonal
Chestnut Bark Rippled : Bark of the same Sweet Chestnut tree, showing a rippled effect b
Chestnut Bark Tiling : A detail from the Rippled pattern. Sweet Chestnut tree, Gunnersb
Chickens : Caged white chickens in a street market, Indonesia.
Cladonia on Gabbro : Lichens on hard rock.
Cobbled Path : Aubeterre, Charente, France
Cobbled Street : Street paving, St Cirq Lapopie, Lot, France The image of the ston
Cobbles : Street Cobbles (river pebbles used as road surface), Sperlinga, S
Coffee : Glossy sensual Java coffee beans. Real ones.
Congo : Raffia in black and natural straw colours, embroidered and assemb
Conifer Twig 1 : Conifer leaves aren't all alike! These are a beautiful yellow-gre
Conifer Twig 2 : These leaves are in tight bunches of stiff, lightly curved waxy b
Conifer Twig 3 : This species of Pine has needles an incredible 140 mm long, arran
Horse Chestnuts : A tiling of the hard woody fruits that British children gather to
Cope Chest: 2-Dimensional Spirals : Magnificent mediaeval ironwork spirals, both decorating and funct
Copper Tray : Handmade circular copper tray/table for coffee and display, Istan
Copper Tray as Mosaic : Filtered 'mosaic' image of the same
Cordyline Mat, Split : Simple loosely-woven mat of split Cordyline 'palm' leaves
Cordyline Mat, Whole : Simple tablemat of almost whole Cordyline 'palm' leaves
Coriolus versicolor : A small wood-rotting fungus forming handsome semicircles along a
Cork Bark : A piece of the bark of the Cork Oak. Greece.
Cork Bark - Back : The inner surface of the same piece of cork.
Cornish Slate Floor : Slate floor of church, the slates unusually set on edge in groups
Cornish Wave-cut Platform : An inaccessible beach on the north Cornish coast, with the strata
Cornish Zigzag Drystone Wall : Drystone field wall with the flat slaty stones laid diagonally in
Corrugated Iron Barn : The sumptuous rusty reds and yellows of an old corrugated iron ba
Corrugated Cardboard : Tough packing material made from 3 layers of paper.
Cracked Mud : Dried mud crust in a clayey puddle. The crust forms natural 120&d
Cracked Paint : Cracked paint in a castle corridor. Cluny, Inverness-shire. Scot
Cracked Pottery : Cracks in a potshard found in the River Thames. The shard still h
Cranesbill : Dehiscent fruits. The pattern is formed by the capsule whic
Cream Cardboard : Thick cream-coloured cardboard used as the backing of a drawing b
Crescent Waves : Crescent shaped waves in the sand at low tide in a Scottish sea-l
Curlicue Grating : Decorative cast iron grating in floor of the choir, York Minster,
Cycad : A magnificent circular pattern made by the radiating pinnate leav
Cypress Cone : Tiling made from the cone of the Cypress, stretched out to tile t
Desert Sands : Wind-rippled dunes outside Dubai. United Arab Emirates.
Dhoti : Indian Sun and Squiggles Dhoti motif, Pondichéri, Tamil Nadu
Drab Bookbinding : Sober olive-drab cloth-covered paper board bookbinding.
Dracaena : The leaf scars of this tropical plant form the pattern.
Dragonfish : The extraordinary Dragonfish with its amazing alga-like protubera
Stone Dragon Frieze : Stone Dragons protecting a temple in Java.
German - Edelweiss : Linen and cotton tablemat from Germany. The Edelweiss is a small
Elibelinde : Fertility (Hands on Hips) or Mother symbol. Often combined with o
Ent - Treeherd : Who has not seen a glimpse of a face in the forest? From the Gree
Eryngo : The astonishing purply-blue spherical flowerhead of the Eryngo or
Escher : M. C. Escher made a lifetime study of patterns and tilings, of
Estuary : River estuary at Mont-St-Michel, Normandy, France
Fan Palm : The palm house, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew The leaves are folded
Feather : Tiling made of the pattern on a small part of a Wood Pigeon feath
Fir Cone : A sumptuous feast of shaded browns, an interlocking pattern of sp
Fircone: 3-Dimensional Spiral, base : The scales of a mature cone of the Fir tree open out into a logar
Fircone: 3-Dimensional Spiral, top : The scales of a mature cone of the Fir tree open out into a logar
Firtree Crystals on Limestone : The beautiful fractal-like pattern of crystals on a limestone sla
Fishscale Slates : A now very rare example of the traditional roofing style in the m
Flower Zigzag Border : Border from a potshard found on the bed of the River Thames at Ch
Antique Flysheet Paper : Century-old lining paper of a leather-bound book, stained and spe
Forest Sunset : Sunset over the Forest of the Double (between the twin rivers Dro
Forest Floor : A tiling of autumn leaves picked from the forest floor.
Fossil Oysters, Zigzag Openings : Jurassic Oysters, England The beautiful zigzag pattern reminiscen
Fox Talbot's Veined Leaf : This beautiful photograph is possibly the earliest example of an
Fruits on Twig - Texture : Texture of decorative white fruits of an unknown tree, presumably
Gabbro : Cuillin Hills, Skye, Scotland
Gastropod 1 : Giant Snail : This land snail illustrates the basic right-handed spiral pattern
Gastropod 2 : Turret Shell : This beautiful tall spire illustrates elongation of the basic Gas
Gastropod 3 : Cone Shell : Here the spire is almost totally collapsed within the largest who
Gastropod 4 : Whelk : In this animal the spire is dwarfed by the spines around the heav
Gastropod 5 : Cowrie : Finally in the Cowrie, a massively strong shell, gloriously decor
Geese : A skein of geese silhouetted against the sky.
Cranesbill : The splendidly spiky palmate leaf of the cranesbill or wild Geran
Gingko : The strange two-lobed leaf of the Maidenhair tree, Gingko biloba.
Gneiss : Drilled and dynamited cutting. Near Gothenburg, Sweden
Gravel Beach : Pett Levels, East Sussex, England
Greek : Greece, embroidered motif, Andrítsaina Monastery I spent the
The Green Man : The Green Man is a frequent but rarely-seen inhabitant of our anc
Half-Timbered : Cottage in Echourgnac, Dordogne, France The timbers form the stru
Scotland - Harris Tweed : Hand-woven woollen suiting. It is said of this strong and
Heavy Cardboard : Heavy cardboard used as the backing of a drawing block.
Honeycomb : Detail of the wax comb of hexagonally tiling cells -- these ones
Honeycomb Tiling : Tiling made from the previous image of the honeybees' work.
Hook : Loyalty. Kilims are of course woven by women, and in a traditio
Horsemen : Horses and their riders in the volcanic dust at dawn on Mount Bro
Hydrangea : Hydrangea petals, after a winter. The petal surfaces have decayed
Ice Crystals on Glass : This astonishingly beautiful pattern consists of ice crystals for
Ikat Bundles : The bundles of ikatted threads are hung out to dry in the sun. Th
Dyeing Ikat : Once marked out and wrapped with thread, the bundles are hand-dip
Java : The Javanese Ikats are strong, bright, subtle, and wonderfull
Indian Paper : Handmade paper for watercolour or drawing. India
Insect-eaten Leaf : The leaf-eaters have chosen the soft parts of the leaf, avoiding
Iron Roses : A surprisingly delicate pattern of wrought ironwork from a palace
Islamic Hexagonal Tiling : Ceramic hexagonal tiles forming coloured diamond patterns, Marrak
Ivy : Pattern formed by variegation: the plant has been bred by selecti
Jay : Tiling made of the bright blue striped feathers from the wing-pat
Kelp on Boulders : Large orange seaweed among massive ancient rocks. Isle of Skye, S
Keyholes : The brass keyhole of an english Victorian internal house-door has
Kite Strings : A Festival (of Britain) Style pattern by David Parsons for Heal's
Knot in Oak : Knot in Oak tree, Petworth Park, Sussex, England
Kohistan : Detail of child's jacket decorated with buttons, beads, and coins
Coffee Bean Batik : The 'Coffee Bean' batik pattern is very popular for sarongs. I fi
Labyrinth Tiling : Penrose tilings are far from being the only possible aperiodic ti
Lattice : Bamboo Lattice Cage, Lake Toba, Sumatra
Rose Leaf: Cut by Leaf-Cutting Bees : Bees have neatly cut circular pieces out of the leaflets to carry
Leaf Mining : Apple Leaf with the tunnels of Leaf Miners and round patches of f
Leaf Veins : The veins on this giant ornamental 'rhubarb' Gunnera leaf form tr
Leaf Veins, Detail : A detail of the pattern on the same leaf
Lentils : Just plain old lentils forming a tiling pattern.
Letterbox : House letterbox in cast iron. Monpazier, Lot, France. (very sligh
Boite aux Lettres : House letterbox in cast iron. Monpazier, Lot, France.
Lichen on Gneiss : The fruiting bodies of this lichen emerge from the surface of the
Lichtenburg : Tree: Lichtenburg Discharge A block of plastic is charg
Limestone : A strange bubbly effect of smooth waterworn limestone.
Limestone Pavement : The Burren, County Clare, Ireland The Burren ('Rocky Ground') is
Lombok : Lombok, Songket Sarong motif (Indonesia). This is a simple cotton
Loofah : This plant is familiar as a nice rough thing to scratch your back
Loofah Tiling : This is the cleaned surface of the seed-pod of the Egyptian
Magnolia : Fruits ripening on flower-stalk. Evergreen Magnolia, Chisw
Mamasa : Sulawesi, Mamasa Blanket motif (Indonesia). Mamasa is a hill-town
Manhole, Chevron : A cast iron pattern of treads on a manhold cover.
Manhole, Cigar, Holes : A cast iron pattern of treads on a manhold cover.
Manhole, Cigar : A cast iron pattern of treads on a manhold cover.
Manhole, Grating : A cast iron pattern of treads on a manhold cover.
Maple : A rich dark tiling of glossy indigoes and creams.
Marbled Book Lining Paper : Century-old handmade marbled paper lining a leather-bound book's
Marbling : Marble effects have long been highly prized. Happily the crafts o
Maritime Pine : cone, 3-D Spiral, top : The spiral arrangement of scales seen from the top of the cone.
Medersa Calligraphy : Classical arabic calligraphy carved in stone, Medersa ben Youssef
Medersa ben Youssef : Stone arabesques carved on the courtyard walls of the Medersa ben
Medersa Tiling : Ceramic tiling, Medersa ben Youssef, Marrakech, Morocco.
Medersa Diamond Lattice : Wooden lattice screen with Diamond pattern forming part of door s
Medersa Star Lattice : Wooden lattice screen with Star pattern (see Suf
Mediobogdum Roman Fort : Wall of roughly-squared local rock, Hardknott Castle, Cumbria, En
Milled Cardboard : Strong grey milled cardboard.
Milled Writing Paper : Thick sandalwood-coloured writing paper milled to provide an eleg
Monadhliath Lichened Rock : Rock covered with geographical lichens of many species. Monadhli
Prehistoric Animal Frieze : Stone age paintings of animals including deer and horses, Montign
Prehistoric Deer Frieze : Stone age paintings of deer, Montignac Caves, Dordogne, France
Moroccan Star, Simple : Simple ceramic tiling forming Sufi stars of various sizes. Marrak
Morocco : woven wool/cotton rug, bird motif
Morocco 2 : cotton rug motif
Moroccan Star Tiling : Interlocking ceramic tiles forming coloured stars and rosettes, M
Mosaic - Crosses & Circles : Roman mosaic floor, Villa di Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily
Mosaic - Diagonal Star : Roman mosaic floor, Villa di Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily This
Moss : A soft pale green tiling of Sphagnum or bog moss. There is a plac
Museum Columns : Handsomely carved decorative limestone columns in the doorway of
Narenjestan : Superb decorative figures from Iran.
Nasturtium Leaf: Bottom : The underside of the same leaf.
Nasturtium Leaf: Top : The delicate fan pattern of the Nasturtium leaf.
Nautilus : The beautiful logarithmic spiral bodyform of the Nautilus is crea
Navajo : Navajo Tribal Rug Motif in woven wool, Arizona/New Mexico
Pine Needles : There is something strange and spooky about the colours, shapes,
Caltagirone Niche (large) : Chiesa di San Giacomo, Caltagirone, Sicily
Caltagirone Niche (smaller) : Chiesa di San Giacomo, Caltagirone, Sicily
Norway : woollen pullover motif
Noto Niche (large) : Noto, Sicily
Noto Niche (detail) : Noto, Sicily
Noto Niche (smaller) : Noto, Sicily
Oat : The delicate ears of the oat.
Olive Branch : The olive branch has been a symbol of peace since Ancient Greek t
Oyster, Inside : Oyster shell is lined with 'Mother-of-Pearl', a lustrous, smo
Oyster, Outside : The outside of the same oyster shell showing how the valves close
Paddyfields : Bali
Padlocks : Antique iron padlocks in service on a townhouse door Caltagirone,
Pahoehoe Lava : The smoothly twisted ropes of Pahoehoe lava. Hawaii.
Painted Wood : Paint on an old wooden window-shutter has shrunk and cracked in t
Palaeophytocrene : Palaeophytocrene foveolata Fossil seed 14mm long from
Palaeophytocrene - Smaller : Palaeophytocrene foveolata Fossil seed 14mm long from
Palaeophytocrene Tiling : Tiling based on Palaeophytocrene
Palm : Palm-Leaf Fan, Kabul, Afghanistan
Palm Bark Sgraffito : The surface of this beautiful palm is patterned as if written in
Palm Bark Spirals : The leaf scars of this palm form Fibonacci spirals. Palm House, R
Palm Trunk : The toothed leaves of this palm tree show a really large 3-Dimens
India : Double-Ikat 'Patola' weave Sari with Pan Bhat (Pipal leaf) pa
Pancake Ice : The weird texture of pancake ice as the sea begins to freeze in t
Pangolin : A tiled animal! The Scaly Anteater or Pangolin. Natural History M
Bird of Paradise Flower Petiole : Cross-section of leaf stalk (approx 17mm x 12mm). The large spear
Passionflower Tendril 1 : A tendril twisting back on itself.
Passionflower Tendril 2 : A tendril coiled left and right.
Passionflower Tendril 3 : A writhing tendril.
Passionflower Tendril 4 : A tendril showing a tight spiral and an open loop.
Passionflower Tendrils : The strong and vigorous tendrils of the passionflower, coiling ev
Pea Tendril, Detail : A single tendril spirals inwards as it tightens around a support.
Pea Tendril, Logarithmic Spiral : The steady increase in curvature of the tendril as it tightens a
Pea Tendrils : The leaf is divided into ordinary leaflets and grasping tendrils,
Penrose Quilt 2 : A 5-symmetrical Kite-and-Dart Penrose Quilt by
Penrose Quilt 1 : A six-colour Penrose Quilt by
Penrose Tilings : Sir Roger Penrose is a professor of mathematics at Oxford Univ
Pepper : Peppercorns, a contrast in colours and textures.
Persian Carpet : The subtlety and intense colours of the pattern from the central
Piazza Duomo : Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy - People form patterns, too, in t
Pineapple Frieze : Another memory frieze, pineapples lined up on a little wooden she
Pine Bark : With its flat, piled-up scales like contours on a map, it makes g
Pine Cone : This exotic tiling, based on hexagonal scales which hide the seed
Pine Cone, halved : The structure of the Fibonacci spirals of the pinecone are reveal
Pinecone nibbled by Red Squirrel : A squirrel has nibbled off all the scales to get at the edible se
Plane Bark - Texture : A gentle tiling of the smooth brown bark of the London Plane. The
Plane Bark 1 : London Plane trunk delicately lit in dappled light showing even-a
Plane Bark 2 : London Plane showing older and younger scales of bark.
Plane Bark Background : Bark of the London Plane, Platanus hybrida. The smooth bark cons
Poplar Bark : A handsomely scaly tiling.
Portcullis : Decorative (and strong!) wrought iron gates in the ancient Roman
Prickly Pear : The Prickly Pear cactus Opuntia has an edible fruit and fo
Raffia : Raffia Basket, Philippines
Rajasthan : India, Rajasthan Door-Hanging motif. The people of the Thar deser
Ramesses : Hieroglyphs in a list of names of Pharaohs in Ramesses II's templ
Rattan : Rattan mat, Lombok, Indonesia
Rattlesnake Body, Dorsal : The rattlesnake patterns are from a slough I found in the Sonoran
Rattlesnake Body, Ventral : Tiling from belly of the snake.
Rattlesnake Tail, Ventral : Tiling from lower side of the tail of the snake.
Rattlesnake Tail, Dorsal : Tiling from upper side of the tail of the snake.
Red Cabbage : A simple horizontal cross-section of a wintertime vegetable, reve
Red Cabbage Spiral : Detail showing the inner part of a cross-section through a red ca
Red Coral : Red Organ-Pipe Coral, Gili Meno, Lombok Pieces of this coral are
Regular : Hexagon : This pattern is the third and final regular tessel
Regular : Square : The chequerboard is the basis of many wallpapers, and of many oth
Regular : Triangle : The triangular grid is the second of the regular tessellations.
Reinforced Envelope Paper : Extra strong cloth-reinforced white envelope paper.
Geographic Lichen on Slate Roof : Rhizocarpon geographicum, a pale green lichen forming patc
River Scum : This glorious assemblage of patterns is composed of the foam and
River Scum - Dark Detail : A detail of the dark leaf pattern from the River Scum image.
River Scum - Light Detail : A detail of the pale foam pattern from the River Scum image.
Romanian Fertility Figure : This detail of carved decoration is on a panel beside the door of
Roof Tiles : Tiles on a farm roof, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Rose Leaf: Uncut : The rose leaf is made up of a pinnate (feather-like) arrangement
Rowboats : Adobe wall decoration. South Indian Coast
Royal Batik : The guards at the Sultan's Kraton (palace) show just how formal b
Rudraksh Seeds : Rudraksh are highly prized in India as prayer beads. A set of sma
Rustic Palladian Wall : In the Palladian style, copied by English gentlemen from villas i
Rye Grass : Rye Grass, like many grasses, demonstrates a simple pattern of pl
Salak (Snakefruit) : The strangely snaky scales of the Salak or Snakefruit. Indonesia.
Sand Dollar : Echinoderm skeleton Indonesia
Sandstone Wall : Garden Wall, Morningside, Edinburgh
Scallop Tiling : Tiling formed from the scallop shell stretched out to tile a plan
Scallop : Scallop shell showing pattern of crossed spirals almost like a tw
Scherzo : A Festival Style pattern by Alan Price for Heal's, 1953. The name
Schist : A hard, ancient, metamorphic rock that splits into layers because
Scooter Frieze : Scooters in Florence, Italy, seen from the Bargello palace.
Scooter Frieze : Scooters parked in Florence, Italy form a colourful frieze. You c
Sea Urchin, Bottom : Same as previous specimen. The inset image (sharply backlit) show
Sea Urchin Tiling : This tiling is made from the same specimen as the previous image.
Sea Urchin, Top : Echinoderm skeleton showing beautifully the 5-symmetric array of
Seashore Posts : Pett Levels, East Sussex, England
Sea Star : Echinoderm skeleton. There is a fascinating tension in this anima
Selinunte City Wall : Limestone masonry of massive cuboidal blocks, Selinunte (Graeco-R
Selinunte Wall as Globe : The same image as Selinunte City Wall
Semiregular : Square, 2 Octagons : This tessellation forms interlocking patterns that are convenient
Semiregular : 3 Triangles, 2 Squares : This semiregular tessellation has 3 triangles and two squares at
Semiregular : Triangle, Hexagon, Triangle, Hexagon : This beautiful tessellation forms interlocking Stars of David: ea
Semiregular : Triangle, Square, Hexagon, Square : This elegantly simple and compact tessellation forms interlocking
Semiregular : 2 Triangles, Square, Triangle, Square : This dazzling semiregular tessellation has 3 triangles and two
Chaos - Separating Paint : Chaos: Separating Paint Paints of two colours are pour
Shamanic Rock Carvings : Rock carvings at Alta in what is now Norway, made by the Sami peo
Om Namah Shivaya : India, Om Namah Shivaya, Handprinted Cotton Headcloth, Varanasi (
Siena : A surviving mediaeval pattern town in Tuscany, Italy
Silchester Squared-Flint Wall : Wall of squared flint, Silchester Roman town, England
Slate Roof : Slate Roof Tiles, Cluny Castle, Scotland
Soap Bubbles : The surfaces of bubbles shrink because of surface tension (the pu
Soil Creep on Chalk Grassland : The pattern of "terracettes" or so-called sheep tracks is formed
Solo Batik : This gracefully sweeping pattern in restrained colours is typical
Sparkle : Sunlight glinting from ripples on a calm sea, wind force 1-2 Beau
Chaos - Paint Spatter : Surface tension: Paint Spatter Paint is spattered free
Squash Base : A different radial pattern, formed by the base of the same Squash
Squash Section : The fivefold symmetry of the Squash is revealed in this cross-sec
Squash Tiling : A simple wallpaper using both ends of the same Squash fruit.
Squash Top : This beautiful radial pattern is formed by an edible but also ver
Stained Glass Window 1 : Modern stained glass setting off to stunning effect the mediaeval
Stained Glass Window 2 : Another stained glass window in Notre Dame, Riberac, Dordogne, Fr
Star : 6-Pointed Star, Fertility. (Solomon's Seal flower, Liliaceae,
Star Aniseed : A tiling of this attractive spice with its eightfold symmetry.
Stone and Brick Wall : House wall, Nicosia, Sicily
Stone Leaf 1 : Castello Sforza, Milan, Italy
Stone Leaf 2 : Castello Sforza, Milan, Italy
Stone Leaf 3 : Castello Sforza, Milan, Italy
Stone Leaf 4 : Castello Sforza, Milan, Italy
Stone Wave Frieze : Centre : See Stone Wave Frieze : Left for details. You can make a complet
Stone Wave Frieze : Left : This pattern is used both inside and outside the Palladian house:
Stone Wave Frieze : Right : See Stone Wave Frieze : Left for details. You can make a complet
Ironstone Wall : Churchyard wall, Nether Worton, Oxfordshire
Vortex Street : Chaos: Turbulence Eddies form alternately behind an obj
Stripy Leaf : A truly enormous leaf, with a striking venation pattern.
Stripy Leaf Detail : Detail of the pattern from the same leaf.
Succulent Spiral : A sharply spiky spiral of spear-shaped succulent leaves, seen fro
Sufi : Form is symbolised by the square. Expansion is symbolised by
Sumatra House Frieze : Really a frieze, a carved wooden decoration on the outside of a t
Sumba : The island of Sumba produces distinctive ikats in thick cloths, o
Swirly Vine Border : Border from a potshard found on the bed of the River Thames at Ch
Taman Sari : Detail of Gateway to the Water Gardens, Yogyakarta, Java
Teak : Smooth polished teak board.
Teasel : A magnificently spiky spiral pattern of the fruiting head of this
Pea Tendrils, Triquetra : Pattern formed by the three evenly-spaced tendrils at the tip of
Thatch : Underside of a thatched barn roof, Romanian Peasant's Museum, Buc
Thin Card : Thin smooth grey card.
Tie Dye Turban : Glowing reds, blues, and yellows of a handmade turban. Jaisalmer
Tiled Barrel Vault : A detail from the astonishing ceiling of a small country church i
Timothy : The pollen-bearing anthers dangle outside the ear of timothy gras
Tjap Border : This particular Tjap is specifically des
Tjap, Blue Border : This is a negative image of the Border Tjap.
Tjap Flowers : Copper 'Repeat' resist-printing block for main area of a
Triangular Cracks : Bla Bheinn, Skye, Scotland
Tropical Fish : Blue and Yellow tropical fish among corals and sponges (all of th
Turkish : Kurdistan, Double-Woven Sack, with Elibeli
Wake : Wake of a motor boat. The wake consists primarily of a V formed a
Wall Painter : Trompe l'oeuil. It's a real wall but the painter is painted on. T
Washing Pond : A village pond in India.
Washing Pond Reflections : Reflections in a village pond in India.
Water Dock Leaf: Bottom : The underside of the same leaf.
Water Dock Leaf: Top : The leaf of the water dock is heavily pigmented along the veins,
Wattle : Willow Wattle House-Panel, Groombridge, Kent, England
Waves : Detail from Blue Water in the Flores Sea.
Wheat : The staff of life.
Whelk : Tiling showing different views of a whelk shell. Flores Sea, Nusa
Whelk: 3-Dimensional Spiral : Tropical gastropod mollusc, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia The whelk g
William Morris - Willow Bough : Real Wallpaper! William Morris 'Willow Bough' Wi
William Morris - Snakeshead : Snakeshead is a dazzlingly perfect Victorian pattern created in 1
Willow : Willow Wicker Basket, Germany The history of the word "Wick
Wolf : A playful tiling of the face of the animal that little children s
Wolf's Face : Protects the flocks against the wolf. Often used as a border all
Wolf's Track : Protects the flocks against the wolf. (Turkish: Kurt Izi)
Wooden Ceiling : Mediaeval board and handmade iron nail ceiling, Church of Notre D
Woodpecker Holes : Holes made by Green Woodpecker in dead wood along trunk of storm-
Ripples : Rippled beach sand. Indonesia.
Cross-Ripples : Cross-rippled sand on a beach between 2 islands Indonesia
Yin/Yang 1 : Love and Unison (Yin/Yang). (Turkish: Ashk ve Birleshim)
Yin/Yang 2 : Love and Unison (Yin/Yang), variant form. (Turkish: Ashk ve Birl
Yogyakarta Batik : This simple but beautiful pattern in typical Jogjakarta style is
Yorkshire Fog : This beautiful soft grass creates a feeling of slight haziness wh

Patterns

26 November 2005