Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Interlocking Symbols as Transcultural Visual Theology: Buddhist and Islamic Adaptations

Yuqing XiangThe Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Interlocking symbols, characterised by geometric precision and semantic richness, functioned as transcultural mediators of theological meaning in Buddhist and Islamic visual cultures between the 2nd century BCE and 14th century CE. This study examines how morphologically similar motifs—such as the Buddhist Baoxianghua (precious floral rosette) and Islamic seven-circle interlacing—acquired divergent religious significances while retaining structural coherence. Adopting a dynamic semiotic framework, it argues that these symbols were not passively transmitted but actively recontextualised across material and doctrinal boundaries. Case studies include Tang Dynasty reliquaries (Buddhism) and Liao Dynasty ceramics (Islam), demonstrating their role as mobile visual symbols. The research challenges static paradigms of symbolic transmission, highlighting instead adaptive processes of hybridisation and reinterpretation. Findings reveal a shared visual grammar that articulated core theological concepts—saṃsāra, tawḥīd, and sacramental unity—through recursive geometries, bridging cultural and cosmological divides.

Keywords: Interlocking symbols; translation zone; religious symbols
Published: August 6, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.LC25712
Volume: CHR Vol.74
pp. 94-106
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