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.
20th Century Italian Moorish Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal, Iron
1920s Spanish Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Canvas
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century English Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fabric
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
1950s Unknown Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal, Copper
Late 20th Century Egyptian Moorish Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Velvet
19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Shell, Fruitwood
19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Copper
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass
20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Fabric
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Leather
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal, Copper
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood, Shell, Mother-of-Pearl
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Moorish Furniture
Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Shell, Fruitwood, Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Enamel
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metallic Thread, Gold
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper
Mid-19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Glass
20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Fabric