Peruskuvio

Peruskuvio is a Finnish term that refers to the basic repeating unit or motif from which a larger decorative or geometric pattern is constructed. In tiling, textile design, and graphic pattern work, the peruskuvio is the smallest element that, when repeated through symmetries such as translation, rotation, and reflection, generates the whole pattern. The concept is analogous to the mathematical ideas of a fundamental domain or a unit cell in a tessellation.

In mathematics and design, identifying the peruskuvio helps understand a pattern’s structure and symmetry. It guides how a pattern can be extended across a surface and how its underlying symmetry group, such as a wallpaper group or frieze group, governs allowable transformations. The peruskuvio therefore serves as a bridge between visual design and formal pattern theory.

Practically, designers select a peruskuvio that captures the desired motif and then apply transformations to cover a plane or area. Depending on the pattern, there may be one primary peruskuvio or several distinct units that, through symmetry operations, produce the same overall design.

Notes: The choice of peruskuvio is not always unique; different motifs can act as effective base units for the same pattern, depending on the symmetry considerations. See also tiling, tessellation, motif, unit cell, fundamental domain, and symmetry groups.