arabesque

• Now we can easily understand that Schiller, notwithstanding all his admiration of Kant and his prompt recognition of the far-reaching importance of Kant's doctrine, could not be perfectly satisfied with a philosophy which decreed that an arabesque is more beautiful than any woman, and that morality cannot be beautiful at all, except in some mystical poetic sense. —  The Life and Works of Friedrich Schiller
• The woman in the leotard balanced on one leg in an arabesque, stretching her arms out to the side and proudly thrusting out her breasts. —  SexyBeastII
• The wooden partition which was built up in place of the drop-curtain, is covered with a painting representing the combined standards of America and Sweden, below which are arabesque ornaments in white and gold. —  Life of Hon. Phineas T. Barnum
• The vast size of the apartment, the vaulted ceilings, the arabesque ornaments, the fine pictures, the profusion of flowers, the music, the flourish of trumpets, as the Queen passed backward and forward, the superb dresses and diamonds of the women, the parti-colored full dress of the gentlemen all contributed to make up a scene not to be forgotten. —  Letters from England 1846-1849
• From a European point of view that's difficult for people to accept CM: I have only just bought the second arabesque, Effendi, and haven't had time to read it. —  StrangeHorizons,August2002

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