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.
Large Wood Marquetry Box, France, 1970s
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Large decorative wooden box dating from the 1970s, distinguished by its elaborate geometric marquetry decoration. The rectangular form is entirely embellished with intricate patterns...
Wood
Vintage North African Berber Silver-Mounted Ceremonial Dagger with Ornate Sheath
Located in San Diego, CA
An exceptionally decorative vintage North African dagger featuring an elaborately worked metal handle and matching fitted sheath. The piece displays the...
Steel
Mother of Pearl Abalone Seashell Jewelry Box, Moorish Design Style, ca. 20th C
Located in New York, NY
A beautifully crafted hexagonal jewelry box inlaid with luminous mother‑of‑pearl and abalone seashell, executed in the Moorish design style, circa mid‑20th century. The lid centers a...
Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl
Original Vintage Print by Edmund Dulac, C.1920
By Edmund Dulac
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful image by Edmund Dulac Tipped in plate onto paper Lithograph. Published C.1930 The measurement given is the paper size not the actual coloured printed image. The white...
Paper
Original Vintage Print by Edmund Dulac, C.1920
By Edmund Dulac
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful image by Edmund Dulac Tipped in plate onto paper Lithograph. Published C.1930 The measurement given is the paper size not the actual coloured printed image. Free ship...
Paper
Moorish Inlaid Marquetry Mosaic Jewelry Box with Geometric and Floral Patterns
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This is a Moorish-style jewelry box adorned with inlaid marquetry work, featuring a mosaic of geometric and floral patterns. The design is highly detailed, with small pieces of wood ...
Wood, Fruitwood
Moorish Inlaid Six-Legged Folding Side Table and Brass Tray Top.
Located in Vero Beach, FL
Moorish Inlaid Six-Legged Folding Side Table and Brass Tray Top. The inlay work makes this folding tray an exceptional handmade side table. A hand carved turned wood base of 6 legs ...
Brass
Original Vintage Print by Edmund Dulac, C.1930
By Edmund Dulac
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful image by Edmund Dulac Tipped in plate onto paper Lithograph. Published C.1930 The measurement given is the paper size not the actual coloured printed image. Free ship...
Paper
$1,627Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Moroccan Occasional Table with Carved Wood & Brass Inlay
Located in Reading, Berkshire
A highly decorative early 20th century Middle Eastern / Moroccan occasional table, richly carved throughout and embellished with repetitive brass inlay. The circular top is worked w...
Brass
Original Vintage Print by Edmund Dulac, C.1920
By Edmund Dulac
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful image by Edmund Dulac Tipped in plate onto paper Lithograph. Published C.1930 The measurement given is the paper size not the actual coloured printed image. Free ship...
Paper
$925 / set
Pair of Arabesque Leather Stools
Located in Westwood, NJ
An arabesque influenced style black coated iron base and a leather slung stitched saddle seat cushion. Dimensions: 20" W x 18" D x 19" H
Iron
Pair of Antique style Pendant Lights in Solid Brass & Cut Glass
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Introducing our exquisite Pair of Antique Style Pendant Lights, crafted with utmost precision in Solid Brass & Cut Glass. These stunning chandel...
Brass
$28Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Original Vintage Prints by Edmund Dulac, C.1920
By Edmund Dulac
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful images by Edmund Dulac Tipped in plate onto paper Lithograph. Published C.1930 The measurement given is the paper size not the actual coloured printed image. Free shi...
Paper
Indian Pierced Brass Hanging Decorative Lantern with Moorish Arch Motifs
Located in Yonkers, NY
This vintage Indian brass lantern is a richly decorative hanging piece, distinguished by its finely pierced metalwork and elegant architectural form. Crafted in warm-toned brass, the...
Brass
Large Vintage Moroccan Earthenware and Metal Lidded Urn
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive large vintage Moroccan lidded urn handcrafted in terra cotta and decorated in distinctive Mediterranean colors under glaze, featuring elaborate jewelry like metalwork and ...
Carnelian, Metal
$299Sale Price / item|26% Off
Three Vintage Moorish-Style Handwoven Wool Kilim Pillows, Sold Individually
Located in Valencia, VC
Set of 3 Vintage Wool Handloom Kilim Pillows – Soft Ethnic Motifs on Khaki A charming and easygoing set of three vintage wool handloom Kilim pillows, handmade in Turkey. Each featur...
Wool, Cotton
18th C. Pair of Spanish Geometric Paneled Wooden Doors
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Spanish pair of geometric panel motif carved wood doors from the 18th century. These antique doors from Spain have been designed in raised panels in a geometric motif which adorns ...
Iron
$3,046Sale Price|20% Off
Moorish Hexagonal Pedestal Table With Ebonised Wooden Top & Repetitive Inlaid
Located in Reading, Berkshire
A Beautiful 19th Century Antique Hand-Crafted Middle Eastern Pedestal Table With Ebonised MOP, Bone Inlay Fruit Wood Wooden Top, & Repetitive Geometric Inlaid Decorative Parquetr...
Bone, Wood, Mother-of-Pearl
Antique Moroccan Foldout Inlaid Game Table
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Lofty refined antique Moroccan game table with multiple uses, crafted in walnut having elaborate inlaid geometric marquetry with bone, mahogany, mo...
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Felt, Ebony, Walnut
Mid-Victorian Moorish wrought & cast iron pergola or decorative garden structure
Located in London, GB
A monumental Moorish mid-Victorian wrought iron Pergola or Decorative Garden Structure, a unique masterpiece in High Victorian Ironwork design. Ou...
Wrought Iron
Pair Moroccan Moorish Style Jeweled Metal Lanterns / Chandeliers / Hanging Lamps
Located in New York, NY
Pair of antique chandeliers (hanging lamps, lanterns) in the Moorish Moroccan style, 23 by 13 1/4 inches, finely crafted from metal with fine openwork designs of stylized spider webs...
Metal
Original Vintage Print by Edmund Dulac, C.1920
By Edmund Dulac
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful image by Edmund Dulac Tipped in plate onto paper Lithograph. Published C.1930 The measurement given is the paper size not the actual coloured printed image. The white...
Paper
Pair Of Vintage Ceramic Elephant Form Garden Stools
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A colorful and very solid feeling Pair of Elephant Garden Stools with good size, weight and style. The color combination of Cobalt, Turquoise, Gold and White is bright yet refined. ...
Pottery
$758Sale Price|46% Off
Moroccan Moorish Polished Copper Tray Early 20th Century
Located in Labrit, Landes
Morrocan copper tray Geometric motifs Good condition. Shipping: Diam 43 H 3 1.3 kg.
Copper
Syrian Moorish Jewelry Box, Inlaid Wood & Mother of Pearl, 20th C.
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Syrian style wooden jewelry box intricately inlaid with geometric patterns and accented with pieces of mother of pearl, with patinated brass hardware and a hinged lid ...
Brass
Antique Moroccan Copper Brass Kettle Warmer Brazier Now Plant Stand
Located in Forney, TX
A rare, unusual, and highly decorative antique Moroccan brass, copper and bronze kettle warming stand - brazier (today it would make for fascinating cand...
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Copper
Moroccan Moorish Copper Tray Table with Wooden Folding Base
Located in Barcelona, ES
Large Moroccan antique copper tray table with wooden Syrian folding base. The removable round copper top has a hand-hammered decoration with...
Copper
Moorish Style Moroccan Incised Bone Mirror with Brass Border, 1920's
Located in Stamford, CT
Moroccan Moorish style bone and brass arched mirror. The bone incised concentric circle decoration. And colored with white diamonds against a black background. All enclosed in a tack...
Brass
$6,800 / set
Pair Early 20th Century Moroccan Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
Pair 1920s or earlier Moroccan wood inlay wall shelves. These wonderful Múdejar design shelves feature abstract geometry, horseshoe, multifoil arches, and honeycombed vaults called m...
Wood
Antique Moroccan Inlaid Table with Tray Top
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive antique Moroccan table crafted in mahogany featuring a removable silvered brass tray hand hammered in symbolic and floral designs, a ...
Brass
$2,533Sale Price|20% Off
Striking Pair of Handcrafted Inlaid Demi-Lune Side Tables
Located in Bruton, GB
This exceptional pair of demi-lune side tables showcases meticulous hand-applied geometric inlay work, blending warm tones of natural brown, black, amber, and ivory into a rhythmic, ...
Marble, Metal
Vintage Moroccan Fez Pottery Lidded Jobbana Jar with Silver Filigree circa 1980
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Miniature Moroccan Fez Pottery Lidded Jobbana Jar with Silver Filigree, Moorish Decor This is a vintage Moroccan Fez pottery lidded jar featuring blue and white hand-painted ...
Ceramic
$600Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Moroccan Moorish Hand painted Wall Door Sculpture or Mirror Frame
Located in Plainview, NY
An antique Moroccan moorish hand painted and wood carved door design wall decor, sculpture or mirror frame. Featuring exotic and intricate geometrical...
Wood, Paint
Antique Inlaid Moroccan Tall Chest
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive antique Moroccan tall chest handcrafted in walnut featuring a custom glass top with a scalloped front and matching top drawer over four flat front drawers below having blu...
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood
Large 19th-Century Ottoman Levantine Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Dowry Chest
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
An exceptional and unusually large Ottoman Levantine bridal or dowry chest, dating to circa 1850 or earlier and attributed to Syria or Lebanon. Constructed of richly patinated wood, ...
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Massive Mid-Century Moroccan Brass Tray, Handcrafted, Oval, Circa 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large Massive Mid-Century Brass Moroccan Oval Brass Tray. Hand tooled etched very large Moroccan polished brass tray. This oval brass tray...
Brass
Moroccan Moorish Copper Tray Table with Hand-Carved Folding Base
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
An exceptional Moorish Moroccan folding tray table, featuring a beautifully hand-hammered round copper top resting on an intricately hand-c...
Brass
Antique Ethnic North African Moroccan Silver Anklet Ashtray Catchall Dish
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Ethnic North African traditional anklet silver and brass bracelet made into a vide poche, dish, catchall or silver ashtray. Unusual silver tone metal dish made from an Africa...
Silver Plate, Brass
Middle Eastern Islamic Turkish Ottoman Tinned Copper Ewer
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Handcrafted antique 19th century Islamic Turkish Ottoman tinned copper ceremonial water ewer. Antique Middle Eastern Asian Islamic style ewer jug metalware vessel. The bulbous body...
Copper, Tin, Pewter
Original Vintage Print by Edmund Dulac, C.1920
By Edmund Dulac
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful image by Edmund Dulac Tipped in plate onto paper Lithograph. Published C.1930 The measurement given is the paper size not the actual coloured printed image. Free ship...
Paper
Vintage Moroccan Traditional Moorish Metal and Glass Lantern Ceiling Light
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Moroccan Traditional Moorish clear glass and multicolor lantern. Large Moroccan patinated metal and glass lantern, ceiling light Moorish pendant lantern. Multicolor glass, am...
Metal
Vintage Moroccan Moorish Metal and Stained Glass Lantern or Pendant
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Moroccan Moorish metal and stained colored glass candle lantern Handcrafted small Moroccan glass lantern or Moorish pendant. Multi-color molded glass in green, lavender, blue...
Metal
Austrian Bronze Sculpture by Franz Bergman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cold painted Austrian bronze sculpture by Franz Bergman depicting a carpet trader. The piece shows great attention to detail and craftsm...
Bronze
Antique Middle Eastern Octagonal Occasional Table With Inlaid Bone & Wood
Located in Reading, Berkshire
A highly decorative antique Middle Eastern octagonal occasional table, finely hand carved and embellished with contrasting bone inlay. The octagonal top is richly worked with intric...
Wood
Handcrafted Moroccan Metal Chandelier, Moorish Design, 25\" Diameter
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Handcrafted large Moroccan metal chandelier handcut with Moorish design. Brown dark color metal hammered and inlaid with round jeweled color...
Metal
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Hand-Carved Teak Wood Arched Asian Wall Panel, Moorish Design, 1940
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Asian hand-carved teak wood wall panel architectural elements. An architectural hand-carved teak wood arch doorway panel in the form of an entrance Moorish door, great to use...
Teak
Moorish Spain Arch Top Wood Inaid Marquetry Jewelry Box
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moorish Spain Arch Top Intricate detailed wood inlaid Marquetry Jewelry box. An Hispano Moresque Arch Top Wood Inlaid Marquetry Jewelry Box Casket. Moori...
Fruitwood
English Moorish Revival Painted Side Table with Scalloped Apron
Located in Bruton, GB
Charming Moorish Revival style side table or occasional table featuring a hand-painted cream finish with blue line detailing and distinctive scalloped arcade trim. The rectangular to...
Wood
Middle Eastern 19th Century Moorish Folding Chair Shell Inlaid
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern Egyptian Moorish walnut wood folding chair with intricate foliate carving and mother of pearl, shell inlays. Arabian Syrian styl...
Shell, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Inlaid Marquetry Jewelry Box, Walnut Wood, Moorish Style, Spain, 1940
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Spanish Moorish Marquetry Walnut Trinket Box, Granada, circa 1940 An exquisite and highly decorative Spanish marquetry footed box, handcrafted in Gr...
Wood
$5,200Sale Price|20% Off
Hand-Carved Indo-Portuguese Moorish Queen Four-Poster Bed, India, 2000
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
An impressive hand-carved Indo-Portuguese style queen four-poster bed, handcrafted in India circa 2000 and finished in a deep ebony-black tone. Monumental yet finely detailed, this h...
Wood
Vintage Moroccan Palatial Pottery Vase, Morocco 1930-50ss
Located in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SI
Large Moroccan vase handcrafted in terracotta in classic form hand decorated on floral designs in distinctive Mediterranean colors under jewelry-li...
Silver
Hand-Etched Brass Moroccan Tray Table on Collapsible Base, c. 1960s
Located in Paris, FR
A fantastic 20th mid-century vintage Moorish oval-shaped coffee table composed of a removable meticulously sculpted and hand-engraved copper tabletop and a sculpted foldable wooden b...
Copper
Handcrafted Moroccan Brass Chandelier in Alberto Pinto Style, 33\"
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan Moorish brass chandelier in Alberto Pinto style. The Pasha Moroccan chandelier is finely handcrafted and chiseled with Moorish motifs...
Brass
Islamic Middle Eastern Hanging Brass Tray with Calligraphy
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large Middle Eastern brass platter in Mameluke revival style, Islamic inlay metal charger artwork. Very decorative large hanging brass tray, the tray is very beautiful and unusual, engraved, embossed, inlaid and overlaid with silver, copper and brass Islamic calligraphy writing and foliates patterns. This kind of Islamic metal...
Brass
Rare Antique Liberty & Co. Table Middle Eastern Moorish Moroccan Damascene
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Rare Antique Liberty & Co. Drinks Side Table Middle Eastern Moorish Early 20th century hardwood circular tea table decorated with brass floral ...
Brass
Moroccan Handcrafted Encaustic Cement Tile, Moorish Design, 1980
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan handcrafted and hand painted cement tile with traditional leaves design. These are authentic Moroccan encaustic tiles hand made by artisans in Fe...
Cement
Antique Moroccan Brass Floor Lamp
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Enchanting antique Moroccan floor lamp and matching shade handcrafted in perforated brass, in Moorish form, with floral and geometric designs and an aged bronze like patina.
Brass
Vintage Moroccan Moorish Glass Lantern, Handcrafted Metal, 1970
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Moroccan Moorish Metal and Glass Candle Lantern Handcrafted small Moroccan glass lantern or Moorish pendant. Multi-color molded glass in green, lavender, blue and clear. Hurr...
Metal
Antique Large Arabian Polished Brass Incense Burner Islamic Moorish Style 19th c
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large antique 19th century Turkish incense burner or fire pit with pierced brass and solid brass ornamentation. Museum quality Islamic collector metalwork piece footed incense censer...
Brass