Arabesque
from the Antique Jewelry University
An arabesque (or "moresque") is a design of foliage in a geometrical pattern. It originates from 10th century Baghdad and was very popular in the Muslim world. Around 1530 it became one of the favorite designs in renaissance scroll work influenced by Venetian Muslim traders and it became an important motif in jewelry design during the late Renaissance and Baroque periods.
The name moresque refers to the North-African Moors who settled on the Iberian peninsula.
