The visual characteristics that distinguish the Damascene Wood-Mosaic artefacts’ design identity can be seen across a wide range of artefacts such as backgammon, chess, jewellery boxes, and furniture. This identity is manifested in the design elements and principles that are regarded by the local artisans as essential in distinguishing Damascene Wood-Mosaic artefacts from similar artefacts created by other cultures.
Balance is achieved through the symmetrical and radial distribution of decorative geometrical shapes. Typically, the composition is balanced vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. The shape and colour selection of the unornamented fillers around the decorative geometrical shapes in addition to their arrangements play an important role in creating such balance as well. (See below Figure).
Contrast: Colour contrast is created by the juxtaposition of light and dark colours of various wood inlays made from different types of wood. This allows the artisan to highlight the beauty of the selected decorative geometrical shapes individually and collectively while also directing visual attention to desirable focal points. However, choosing and arranging the colours of the wood inlays to bring out the beauty of the Damascene Wood-Mosaic veneer as a whole is largely dependent on the artisan’s artistic taste. (See below Figure).
Emphasis: To achieve emphasis, artisans frequently create focal points to direct the viewer’s attention to a specific spot on the surface of the Damascene Wood-Mosaic composition. These focal points, which are frequently centralized and appear to be overly ornamented with decorative sub-shapes and/or mother of pearl, serve not only to beautify but also to create balance and harmony within the composition. (See below Figure).
Harmony: Artisans achieve harmony through a series of manipulations of various design elements. for example, through the creation of symmetry, which is accomplished by mirroring one or more units of decorative geometrical shapes, balance is achieved which results in a harmonious composition within the surface of the Damascene Wood-Mosaic. Furthermore, these shapes must be consistent with one another as well as with the rest of the shapes that have a different form. In other words, a variety of units made up of different geometrical shapes should not clash with one another. (See below Figure).
Patterns: Geometric patterns consist of a series of decorative shapes. However, it seems that these patterns are determined by a rule in the case of the Damascene Wood-Mosaic, the rule tends to avoid using human or animal figurative images which are very much similar to the aniconic ornament found in Arabic ornaments, instead, rely on purely geometrical shapes. (See below figure).
Repetition: The repetition of the decorative geometrical shapes enables artisans to expand infinitely on the surface of the Damascene Wood-Mosaic veneer and in all directions. Through symmetry, mirroring, or tessellation of one or more decorative shapes repetition gets created. (See below figure).
Scale: The scale is used to direct the viewer’s attention to a specific spot on the Damascene Wood-Mosaic’s surface. For example, artisans often use a larger-scale decorative shape in the center, surrounded by smaller-scale sub-shapes, and boxed off by a frieze known in the local language as (Darb Snan). A good example of this can be seen in backgammons where the centralized decorative shape being a larger scale than the rest of the sub-shapes is dominating the surface (see figure 18). In the case of large surfaces, however, artisans divide the surface into zones and treat each zone with the same principle, keeping in mind that all zones must eventually come together in harmony. (See below figure).
Unity: The sub-units of the decorative shapes emerges from the central decorative geometrical shape, thus, the latter unites all sub units visible on the surface. (See below figure).
