Description
A grid of overlapping circles is a geometric pattern of repeating, overlapping circles of equal radius in two-dimensional space. Typically, designs are based on circles centered on triangles (with the simple two-circle form called a vesica piscis) or on the square lattice pattern of points. Patterns of seven overlapping circles appear in historical artifacts from the 7th century BC onward; they became a common ornament during the Roman Empire and survive in medieval artistic traditions, both in Islamic art (girih decorations) and in Gothic art. The name "Flower of Life" is given to the pattern of overlapping circles in New Age publications. Of particular note is the six-petaled rosette derived from the "seven overlapping circles" pattern, also known as the "Sun of the Alps" due to its frequent use in Alpine folk art in the 17th and 18th centuries.
