Geometric Harmony: A Symmetry Analysis of Motifs in Rabha Traditional Textiles
July 2026, Vol. 4, No. 2, Issue
Author(s)
Amardeep Rabha (Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Assam and Department of Fashion Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Shillong, Meghalaya)
Dr. Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam (Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Assam)
Abstract
This research offers a design-focused analysis of symmetry in the traditional textile motifs of the Rabha community in Assam, India. It investigates the function of symmetry—as both an aesthetic and structural principle within Rabha weaving traditions, emphasizing motifs, visual forms, and spatial arrangements through symmetry analysis. Employing a qualitative, visual-analytical approach grounded in ethnographic fieldwork and mathematical symmetry theory, the research identifies and classifies motifs according to their visual attributes, symmetry operations, and compositional principles. The findings show that the main types of symmetry observed in Rabha textiles are reflection and translation symmetry. Floral and ritual motifs commonly exhibit rotational symmetry. These symmetrical designs reflect the Rabha people’s understanding of the universe as balanced and harmonious. They also demonstrate the close relationship between cultural beliefs and visual organization. The study highlights that indigenous craft traditions, such as Rabha traditional textile motifs, are not only decorative but also reflect complex mathematical thinking and aesthetic principles. This research enhances the domain of indigenous design studies by offering a framework for comprehending traditional textile design systems through the amalgamation of mathematical logic, visual forms, and their compositional structure
Keywords
Rabha textiles, symmetry analysis, indigenous motifs, social design, visual ethnography
DOI :
Copyright & Licence
Authors publishing in JAARD retain copyright in their work and grant the journal the right of first publication. Published articles are made available under the Creative Commons licence specified by the journal. Current licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Dates
Published: 31st July 2026
Received: 27th Oct 2025
Accepted: 13th June 2026
Pages : 1-16
Citation
Rabha, A., & Dharmalingam, U. K. (2026). Geometric harmony: A symmetry analysis of motifs in Rabha traditional textiles. International Journal of Arts, Architecture & Design, 4(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.62030/2026Julypaper1
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