Moresquen.adj.

1458 in J. Raine Testamenta Eboracensia (1855) II. 266 (MED) Sir Thomas praith his seid executors that..thai delyvere to William Chaworth..iij peces of silver..the which oon of thaym coveryth, another with a flatt knoppe and with a Moresk yeron.

1494 in J. Raine Testamenta Eboracensia (1836) I. 362 (MED) Item lego dictæ Margaretæ, filiæ meæ, unum ciphum..sculptum cum litteris de moreske.

1727–52 E. Chambers Cycl. Moresk, or Morisko, a kind of painting, carving, &c. done after the manner of the Moors.

a1843 R. Southey Common-place Bk. (1849) 2nd Ser. 457/2 Here, too, the dome is gold and azure Moresque within.

1882 Ballou's Monthly Mag. Sept. 269/1 Mauresque is the latest novelty, like embroidered net, and you may now buy net by the piece, treated in the same way, and liberally used on silks, satins, and washing materials.

1999 N.Y. Times 4 Nov. f3/4 The 16th-century traveling bed below has Moresques—interlacing tendrils and vines—inlaid in ebony, ivory and purplewood. The bed was made in Germany; the motifs are Islamic.

1508 Bk. of Disguisings in Bull. Inst. Hist. Res. (1981) 54 128 Henry Wentworth asketh alowauns for his costes, being a bought the besyness of the disguising and moreske by the kinges commaundement..at 8d be the day for 80 days.

1514 in J. S. Brewer Lett. & Papers Reign Henry VIII (1920) I. ii. 1123 For to pleser the Kyngs grace..was devysed an Intermit, in the wheche conteyned a moresks of vj persons and ij ladys.

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Morisco Moresque Dances, vulgarly call'd Morrice-Dances, are those altogether in imitation of the Moors, as Sarabands, Chacons, &c.

1895 F. B. Workman & W. H. Workman Algerian Mem. 18 The women, or Mauresques, cannot impress one with the idea of grace.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues at Moresque Fueillage, & Ouvrage, moresque. Moreske worke; a rude, or anticke painting, or caruing, wherein the feet and tayles of beasts, &c., are intermingled with, or made to resemble, a kind of wild leaues, &c.

1656 T. Blount Glossographia Moresk work, a rude or Antick painting or carving, wherein the feet and tails of beasts, &c. are intermingled with, or made to resemble a kind of wilde leaves, &c.

1757 J. H. Grose Voy. E.-Indies x. 177 Their style of building, which is partly Gentoo, and partly Moresk.

1817 T. Moore Lalla Rookh 11 Between the porphyry pillars, that uphold The rich moresque-work of the roof of gold.

1842 J. Gwilt Encycl. Archit. i. ii. 53 The first period in the history of Moresque architecture is from the foundation of Islamism to the ninth century.

1875 Encycl. Brit. II. 234/1 While the genuine Arabian art, the Saracenic, was distinguished as Moresque or Moorish.

1888 Lady 25 Oct. 374/3 [A lady's cap] made of mauresque lace.

1991 Antique Collector Dec.–Jan. 44 With the notable exception of the Moresque ornament of the 16th century,..the exotic quality of this foreign ornament was greatly emphasised.