Moorish 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.
19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Boxes
Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Spanish Moorish Boxes
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moorish Boxes
Agate, Metal
1970s Unknown Vintage Moorish Boxes
Onyx, Marble
20th Century Syrian Moorish Boxes
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
20th Century Syrian Moorish Boxes
Wood
20th Century Moorish Boxes
Wood
19th Century Zanzibari Antique Moorish Boxes
Brass
20th Century Asian Moorish Boxes
Wood
Mid-20th Century German Moorish Boxes
Enamel, Tin
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Boxes
Multi-gemstone, Metal
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Boxes
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Silver Plate, Brass
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
1950s Italian Vintage Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
1940s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Boxes
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Asian Moorish Boxes
Wood
20th Century Moorish Boxes
Wood
17th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Boxes
Wrought Iron, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Moorish Boxes
Bone, Wood
20th Century Moorish Boxes
Wood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Bone
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Silver Plate, Brass
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Metal
1950s Italian Vintage Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
1970s West Asian Vintage Moorish Boxes
Enamel
20th Century Moorish Boxes
Wood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Shell, Fruitwood, Abalone
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Boxes
Shell, Fruitwood, Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Boxes
Shell, Fruitwood
1920s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Boxes
Brass, Tin
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Boxes
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Indian Moorish Boxes
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Metal
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Shell, Fruitwood, Abalone
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Boxes
Multi-gemstone, Metal
1960s West Asian Vintage Moorish Boxes
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Velvet, Wood
20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Wood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl, Shell, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Abalone, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood, Shell, Mother-of-Pearl
Mid-20th Century Algerian Moorish Boxes
Metal
Early 20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Metal
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Metal
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Bone, Ebony, Walnut
Early 20th Century Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Boxes
Bone, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Boxes
Shell, Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Moorish Boxes
Bone, Wood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Ceramic
20th Century Indian Moorish Boxes
Lacquer
20th Century Indian Moorish Boxes
Porcelain
20th Century Lebanese Moorish Boxes
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Boxes
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Moorish Boxes
Fruitwood
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Moorish Boxes
Bronze