Mudéjar (architectural and decorative arts style)

Refers to the style of architecture and decorative arts that developed in Spain and Portugal during the period when the Moors gradually lost control of the Iberian peninsula, roughly during the 12th to 15th centuries. The term is derived from the Arabic word for vassal and was originally applied to the work executed by Moslem craftsmen working for Christian masters in brick, plaster, wood, and tile work, though it is now applied to all later Medieval Spanish work in the Islamic tradition, and includes bookbinding, textiles, ceramics, ivory, furniture, and wood and metal inlay work. The style is characterized by Muslim forms and motifs such as arabesques, Kufic inscriptions, stalactite work, azulejo, and horseshoe arches.