Moorish Furniture
After the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the eighth century, Islamic Spain became a cultural mix of influences that shaped both private homes and religious spaces. Moorish design was the name given to this style, which evolved through the 15th century with vibrant tile work, horseshoe arches and lavish ornamentation, most visible at sites such as Granada’s Alhambra and the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. Moorish furniture was often similarly ornate, and featured pieces inlaid with wood, ivory and bone.
When European designers began studying Moorish art and architecture in the early 19th century, it led to a Moorish Revival. Appropriating the style’s decorative flourishes and architectural elements, it promoted a romantic view of Islamic design. Travelers could bring home a memento of what they witnessed in the Middle East, a trend that aligned with a fad for themed interiors. Men’s smoking rooms arranged with ottomans, divans and settees and inlaid tables were especially popular, as were cafés where coffee was served amid bead curtains and colorful floor mats. (Handwoven rugs are a centerpiece of Moorish interiors.) Octagonal rooms with domed ceilings were created for wealthy homes, frequently with furnishings like pipe stands, filigree plasterwork and arched doorways. The horseshoe arch is an iconic attribute of Moorish architecture that, in addition to Spain, can be found in Sicily, Morocco and elsewhere.
Several late 19th to early 20th-century movements featured Moorish touches. The American and English Aesthetic Movement, for example, borrowed liberally from global decorating styles, as seen in furniture designed by Lockwood de Forest, a New York-born artist who mixed Eastern and Western forms. The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau also references the elegant use of geometry in Moorish design, with Milanese Art Nouveau furniture designer Carlo Bugatti drawing inspiration from the style. The Arts and Crafts movement, which prized expressive yet simple design, incorporated Moorish influences; hand-painted furniture and tile work created by William De Morgan, a British designer and potter who made furnishings for the likes of Morris & Co., were informed by techniques from Moorish Spain.
Find a collection of Moorish lighting, decorative objects, folk art and more furniture on 1stDibs.
Early 1900s African Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Egyptian Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
1920s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Glass
1940s Spanish Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
1940s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
2010s North American Moorish Furniture
Stone
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement
Late 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Cement
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement
19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Agate, Metal
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Ebony, Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Moorish Furniture
Velvet
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Concrete
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Fabric
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wood
20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass, Iron
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Concrete
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass, Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement
1940s Spanish Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Metal
1840s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Paper
Late 18th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 2000s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fabric, Damask, Satin, Velvet
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
1940s Spanish Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware, Pottery
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
Late 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Late 20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Lebanese Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut, Shell, Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Silver Plate, Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
1990s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Copper
Late 20th Century Italian Moorish Furniture
Velvet
1830s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century North American Moorish Furniture
Velvet, Ebony