"Bahram Gur in the red pavilion" by Nizami, 16th Century Iran - H: 12 13/16 x W: 7 7/8 in. (32.5 x 20 cm). Image via The Walters Art Museum
In these small ink illustrations, there was an effort to describe the built structures, while omitting any explicit spatial logic. There is a sense of how things might be rather than how they are. The result is similar to a flat collage representing opulent palaces and mosques. The four guiding components of Islamic art are implemented, including Calligraphy, Vegetative forms, Geometric elements and Figures; adding dynamism and suggesting a function within the space. Various tiling patterns would then refer to different surfaces and hint to a possible layout of the building or interior.