Dwarven symbolism
Dwarven symbolism may seem simple and plain at first but the straight lines and geometric shapes only tell half the story. Those outside dwarven culture often fail to notice the texture or subtle coloration of dwarven designs, aspects that are critical to dwarven art and culture. As a race who largely prefers to reside underground in caverns that may be dimly lit or bear lights unfamiliar to surface dwellers dwarven architecture, art, and symbols reflect their earthen home.
In dwarven culture texture plays a very important role. Different stones are used to evoke different ideas or emotions not solely because of their color or strength but their texture. A rough coarse granite evokes strength but also honor and a sense of protecting those weaker than yourself. The fine grit of sandstone is often used for beauty and grace but with the solid sense of dwarven solidity underneath. Flaky shale is often used to depict the changeable races of the surface and certainly not in a complimentary way. Obsidian is universally used for danger and death, its smooth glassy surface easily turning to razor sharp edges.
Because of the importance of texture and building material to dwarven art the colors of certain stones have begun to show up in the more surface minded art of dwarven traders or sailors. A striated hull of white and black on a boat to evoke the strength and smoothness of marble. House crests based in limestone red or grey or other sedimentary rock for trustworthiness in a merchant. Pyrite yellow used to slander a competitors wares as fools-gold. Even sails a light volcanic pumice red or brown for lightness and speed.
With these subtleties to art and architecture come the more easily identifiable marks of dwarven craftmanship. Strong bold lines carved into or raised out of a surface. Geometric designs evoking, and sometimes actually, the runes of their language. Even dwarven magic is heavily based in rigid structured physical creation rather than the more ephemeral casting of others. While dwarven smiths and artisans are perfectly capable of creating works to rival the delicacy of the elves or ingenuity of men and gnomes they often prefer to be true to their heritage creating works that may appear crude, blunt, or primitive to others but will also outperform and outlast any others creations.
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