Moorish Jewelry Boxes
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.
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Egyptian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Mother-of-Pearl, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Multi-gemstone, Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Agate, Metal
1940s Spanish Vintage Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Multi-gemstone
Early 20th Century Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Brass
Early 20th Century Asian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Asian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood
Early 20th Century Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
1950s Italian Vintage Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Shell, Mother-of-Pearl, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Lebanese Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Egyptian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Mother-of-Pearl, Fruitwood, Shell
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century Lebanese Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
17th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wrought Iron, Brass
1890s Austrian Antique Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century Italian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood
1950s Vintage Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century British Antique Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Shell
20th Century Asian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Bone
1960s Italian Vintage Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Onyx
Early 20th Century Indian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood, Bone
1960s Vintage Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Alabaster
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood, Ebony, Rosewood, Tulipwood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Walnut, Mother-of-Pearl, Birch, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Italian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Brass
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Bone, Plastic, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Metal
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Mother-of-Pearl, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Agate
20th Century Italian Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Wood
Mid-20th Century Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Moorish Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood