The Astrology Scarf: Inspired by Books at the Museum of Islamic Art Library

At the very beginning of my Alice Fulton Pozzi scarf design journey, I took part in a workshop at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. It was an introduction to Islimi design, Geometry, Calligraphy and Figurative Art. I was particularly drawn to the geometry class, and it inspired me to experiment with developing my own patterns. With the help of the book: Islamic Patterns by Keith Critchlow, I began to make geometric patterns; and this was the start of what became the Astrology scarf.

During the development stage of my design, I joined other artists and creatives for a gathering at the Museum of Islamic Art library who had also been directly inspired by islamic art in their work. It was a nice opportunity not only to meet other creatives, but to share and present our current projects to the group.

To continue my research, I visited the art collections within the museum, and ideas developed after observing the ancient astrolabes and dazzling jewellery. I collected more information at the museum library, which is home to hundreds of books all specialising in or relating to islamic art.

At the library I found four books that directly inspired the development of my design.

1) Qatari Twentieth-Century Jewellery and Ornaments by Najla Ismail Al-Wahabi
This is a beautiful book that showcases traditional Qatari jewellery. The craftsmanship of each piece is extraordinary. The materials of the jewellery include gold, pearls and precious gemstones.

2) Astrolabes at Greenwich by Koenraad van Cleempoel
This book displayed a variety of astrolabes in detail with different ornamentation.

3) Islamic Designs in Color by N. Simakoff
This was a useful visual reference for researching colourful geometric pattern designs.

4) Jannat Paradise in Islamic Art by Mumtaz Currin
My attention was caught by a quote in this book that resonated with me:
‘Outside the concept of “Time”, the circle has always been regarded as a symbol of eternity, without beginning and without an end, just being’.

In my scarf design, I believe that the circle of the astrolabe represents both the Sun and the Earth, as symbols of eternity inside our universe. With the help of the museum and its library, the Astrology design came to life. The scarf comes in 3 colourways: Amethyst, Black Onyx and Sapphire.