Shapes are all around us, in buildings, on signs, and in nature. In addition, designers even use shapes to try to make us feel a certain way! We all learn about squares, circles and triangles in school but there are many more interesting shapes around.
The triquetra is a very old symbol dating back to around 500BC. You see it on Norse Viking artifacts like saddles and combs, however some people believe that it has a Celtic origin. For this reason it is sometimes called the Irish Trinity knot. Triquetra literally means three-cornered. It is considered an attractive shape, consequently designers use it in jewellery and tattoos.
The Star of Lakshmi is a special octagram, an eight pointed star. Octagrams are used in many different cultures. In Hinduism, Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth. The Star of Lakshmi is the star figure, represented by two entwined squares, which is used to symbolize Ashtalakshmi, the eight forms of wealth. These are: monetary, ability to transport, endless prosperity, victory, patience, health and nourishment, knowledge, and family.
Our “How to work with…” guide this week is all about shapes. If you need to know what a parallelogram or trapezium is, or how to tell the difference between an isosceles and scalene triangle – this is the guide for you. It describes the properties of regular 2D shapes, including lines of symmetry and rotational symmetry. There are some questions to try, and answers are included so you can check your understanding.
Click on the picture below to see the guide.
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