ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Arabesque (European art)

Okay kiddo, have you ever looked at a really cool pattern with lots of swirls and curves that remind you of flowers or leaves? That's called an arabesque!

In European art, an arabesque is a type of decoration that's made up of repeating shapes like circles or triangles that are connected with lines. It looks a lot like a really fancy maze or puzzle!

Sometimes, the shapes in an arabesque are made to look like plants or animals, like vines, flowers, or even dragons. Other times, they're just abstract shapes that fit together in a pretty way.

Arabesques were really popular in Europe hundreds of years ago, and you can see them in lots of old buildings, furniture, and even in fancy books or paintings. People liked to use them to add a fancy or elegant touch to their belongings, kind of like how we might add some glitter or stickers to make our things look cooler!