Symmetric and asymmetric designs and how they both help each other.
Rotating disk, Nariño Plateau - Late Period, 600/1700, From the collection of: Museo del Oro, Bogotá
This piece demonstrates a praise symmetric design. The lines used on the surface are equal. The hole in the side actually give this piece a asymmetric aspect to it even though it doesn’t look like it belongs.
The Queen of Night, Choi, Hyo Soon, 2008, From the collection of: Korean Art Museum Association
The queen of night demonstrates how adding slight asymmetric features can make a symmetric piece shine. The moon in the back ground the speckles on the wings also how she has her head turned to one side are all slight changes the symmetric style of this piece.
The Hospitality of Abraham, Unknown, Late 12th century, From the collection of: Monastery of St. John the Theologian, Patmos, Greece
This image has symmetric and asymmetric design threw out the entire piece. There is key symmetry in the angels and in the food on the table. This is complemented by the asymmetric man to the left and the designs around the outside of the picture.
Carpet with Garden Design, Unknown, 18th century, From the collection of: Brooklyn Museum
This carpet is wonderfully designed to incorporate symmetric designs threw out its entirety and the using color to throw in a spark of a symmetry.
Friso estucado de un edificio, unknown, 0300/0600, From the collection of: Museo Nacional de Antropología, México
This symmetric piece is a wonderful work of art. Its asymmetric designs inside of the symmetry allow this piece to be read deeper than the first glance. The right side is fuller than the left.
Building-64, Koh, Myung Keun, 2010, From the collection of: Korean Art Museum Association
Building-64 has an interesting take on symmetry the shape of the object itself is nonsymmetrical but the reflection of the buildings right side gives it symmetry.
Water-14, Koh, Myung Keun, 2010, From the collection of: Korean Art Museum Association
Water-14 shows how you can take an object and create symmetry inside of symmetry 5 cornered piece reflects the same attributes from all sides.
This statue “standing adorned bubbha” demonstrates complete and perfect symmetry. If a line was drawn right down the center of the stature it would be completely equal on each side.
Breastplate in the form of a jaguar - man, Mid-Magdalena Valley (Tolima) - Middle Period, -1/700, From the collection of: Museo del Oro, Bogotá
Breastplate in the form of a jaguar – man has a complete symmetric design to it. The left and right sides of the “jaguar – man” are completely equal. And the top and bottom are only separated by the head.
Breeding Drawing 10, Yee, Sookyung, 2009, From the collection of: Korean Art Museum Association
The Breeding drawing 10 is an interesting piece of symmetry. The piece almost looks like it was flipped to duplicate one side to the other.
Tiger Necklace, René Lalique, ca. 1903, From the collection of: The Walters Art Museum
The Tiger necklace is a beautiful piece of art. Each face separated by long teeth like pieces is an exact replica of the one next to it.
Untitled, Rufo Criado, 1996, From the collection of: Universidad Pública de Navarra
This piece represents both symmetry from the top and bottom as well as left and right. They used complimentary colors too in order to display the changes from exterior to interior.
Memorial Tablet and Omer Calendar, Baruch Zvi Ring, 1904, From the collection of: The Jewish Museum, New York
This is an interesting piece because it is completely symmetrical and asymmetrical. It is symmetrical from the aspect looking at the design. But the words in it make the piece asymmetrical.
Breastplate with openwork design, Nariño Plateau - Late Period, 600/1700, From the collection of: Museo del Oro, Bogotá
This beautiful necklace like object is completely left and right symmetrical. Each grove in the necklace lines up precisely with that of the other side
Lady of Elche, Late 5th / early 4th century BC, From the collection of: Museo Arqueológico Nacional
Iberian sculpture (Lady of Elche) is a great attempt of symmetry in the 5th century B.C. you can see how the sculpture appears to be completely symmetric and that may have been the intent but if you look closely some objects are off center.
Credits: All media
This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
