Sentence:  The house of Ruthven was a small but ultra-modern limestone affair, between Madison and Fifth ;nb.... As a matter of fact its narrow ornate façade presented not a single quiet space that the eyes might rest on after a tiring attempt to follow and codify the <WSD>arabesques</WSD>, foliations, and intricate vermiculations of what some disrespectfully dubbed as “ near-aissance.” 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An elaborate design of intertwined floral figures or complex geometrical patterns, mainly used in Islamic Art and architecture.