Interlocking Symbols as Transcultural Visual Theology: Buddhist and Islamic Adaptations

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 motifssuch as the Buddhist Baoxianghua (precious floral rosette) and Islamic seven-circle interlacingacquired 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 conceptssasra, tawd, and sacramental unitythrough recursive geometries, bridging cultural and cosmological divides.