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 Mughal Indo Persian Footed Tinned Copper Bowl
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Mughal Islamic Indo Persian red copper footed bowl, of compressed hemispherical shape, resting on a splayed conical foot, with slightly everted rim,...
Metal, Copper
18thC German Pewter and Wood "Draubenkrug" Stein
Located in Sarasota, FL
An early 18th century German "Draubenkrug" stein. Made with wooden staves and richly engraved reticulated pewter mounts that depict leaping stags and scrolled foliage. The lid top fe...
Pewter
Viennese Cold-Painted Orientalist Bronze Group by Franz Bergman
By Franz Xaver Bergman (Bergmann)
Located in London, GB
Viennese cold-painted Orientalist bronze group by Franz Bergman Austrian, c.1900 Height 12cm, width 15cm, depth 9cm This small but intricately crafted and designed bronze group ...
Bronze
Vintage Moorish Bowl by Berber Tribes of Morocco, Hand-Crafted, 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage decorative Moorish bowl blue and white.
Ceramic
Moroccan Antique Bronze Cover with Brass Etched Decor
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Very handsome large-scale handcrafted cover. Large handmade Moroccan ceremonial brass vessel for covering wedding presents, hand-forged in Fez. Perfect as center piece for food cove...
Brass, Bronze
Fine Pair of Antique Enamel Marbleized Moser Glass Vases in Orientalist Style
Located in New York, NY
A fine pair of antique Orientalist Moser enameled marbleized glass vases in the Orientalist style. With an unusual pink/brick color with four hand-applied glass handles. Each decorat...
Glass
Ea Leroy, Cameroonian, Orientalist Bronze Sculpture, Early 20th Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Cameroonian: very beautiful bronze sculpture with brown patina signed EA Leroy Emile Leroy is a traveling artist: in 1923, he joined the workshop of Jean Boucher at the Ecole des ...
Bronze
Large Pair of 19th Century Russian Brass Candelabra with Turkish Influence
Located in Middleburg, VA
An enchanting and elaborate pair of 19th-century Russian candelabra, masterfully crafted from solid brass with rich Turkish design influence. These ...
Brass, Metal
Large Middle Eastern Arabesque Style Etched Brass Urn
Located in Houston, TX
Large middle Eastern Arabesque style etched brass urn. Stunning huge middle Eastern Arabesque style hand etched brass urn, vessel or vase. This gorgeous heavy weight Moorish style b...
Brass
19th Century French Ormolu Mantle Clock in Orientalist Motif
Located in Nantucket, MA
19th Century French Ormolu Mantle Clock in "Orientalist" Motif, circa 1850, a romantic movement/Orientalist ormolu clock with ornate baroque case surmounted by an Arabic rider on rearing steed, with sabre drawn overhead, an enamel dial with Roman numerals, bell-strike mechanism by F.L. Hausburg, Paris, and marked on dial "Medaille d'Argent, Vincenti and Cie...
Ormolu
Kabyle Berber Vase
Located in Glasgow, GB
This is a very fine delicate presentation vase from the Berber people of the Atlas Mountains of Algeria . Fired from local clay and hand painted in pigments ground from the soil of t...
Ceramic
Pair of Bronze Candlesticks Figural People Olympic Torch Bearer Women 19"H
Located in Greer, SC
Beautiful pair of bronze candlesticks featuring an Olympic torch bearer. Made from high-quality bronze, making these a unique set to add to your home d...
Bronze
Belle Époque Period Ormolu and Porcelain Mantel Clock in Moorish Style
Located in London, GB
This beautiful clock, formed from gilt bronze and porcelain, is designed and decorated in a discernibly Moorish style. The clock is supported by a flat shaped gilt bronze base, the base supporting four gilt bronze columns that support the gilt bronze clock drum. The cylindrical drum contains a circular dial, the dial of porcelain and inscribed with Roman numerals. The gilt bronze throughout is cast and chased with geometrical motifs—particularly evident on the front of the four vertical columns. These motifs are distinctively Moorish in scheme, the lattice-type geometrical sequences recalling Islamic decorative...
Ormolu, Bronze