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.
Orientalist KPM Porcelain Plaque of Interior Scene
Located in London, GB
Orientalist KPM Porcelain plaque of interior scene German, 20th century Frame: Height 71cm, width 64cm, depth 4cm Plaque: Height 50cm, width 39cm, depth 0.5cm Painted in the Or...
Porcelain, Giltwood
Monumental Pair of Porcelain Plaques of Orientalist or Turkish Women in Castle
Located in New York, NY
A pair of monumental and rare Antique German hand-painted polychrome enamel and raised gold porcelain plaques depicting orientalist/Turkish women standing in castles of exquisite cra...
Gold
$1,950
H 26 in W 35.5 in D 1 in
Orientalist Gravure Scene of Turkish Women Dancing in the Harem, Luigi Crosio
By Luigi Crosio
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Orientalist Moorish gravure scene of Turkish women dancing in the harem. After Luigi Crosio (Italian, 1835-1916), Moorish Scene, "The Dancer" Luigi Crosio...
Paper
$19,500
H 21.5 in W 18 in D 2 in
Antique Painted Porcelain Plaque Depicting an Orientalist Beauty, Signed Vienna
Located in New York, NY
A very large and magnificent antique painted porcelain plaque depicting an orientalist beauty dressed in silk, jewelry, pearls, and 24-karat raised gold and enamel, signed Vienna. Th...
Enamel
$4,995
H 10.25 in W 12 in D 2.5 in
19th Century KPM Porcelain Plaque after Portrait by Christian Leberecht Vogel
By Christian Leberecht Vogel, KPM Porcelain
Located in Cincinnati, OH
This charming 19th century KPM porcelain plaque depicts a painting after German artist Christian Leberecht Vogel's popular work Die Söhne des Künstlers, executed in 1793. The beautif...
Porcelain
KPM porcelain plaque "The Love Letter"
Located in Tarzana, CA
A very fine 19th century German KPM hand painted porcelain plaque depicting two young ladies reading a letter within a giltwood frame. After the original painting by Franz Von Deffre...
Porcelain, Wood
$650Sale Price|49% Off
H 14.5 in W 12.5 in D 2 in
KPM Porcelain Plaque of Moustached Gentleman, Late Victorian, 1896
By Franz Till
Located in Savannah, GA
KPM or Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur, (Royal Porcelain Factory) was one of the most influential porcelain factories to emerge in 18th-century Germany. This handsome moustached gent...
Giltwood, Porcelain
Antique porcelain plaque after Murillo
Located in London, GB
Antique porcelain plaque after Murillo Continental, 19th Century Height 28cm, width 19.5cm, depth 1cm This finely painted antique porcelain plaque depic...
Porcelain
$7,450
H 17.25 in W 15.13 in D 1.75 in
Berlin K.P.M. Porcelain Plaque "Der Eremit" 'The Hermit' After Salomon Koninck
By Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A late 19th early 20th century Berlin K.P.M. Porcelain Plaque titled "Der Eremit" (The Hermit) After the painting by Salomon Koninck (Dutch, 1609-1659)...
Porcelain, Giltwood
A 19th Century KPM Porcelain Plaque of Mary Magdalene
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A beautifully painted porcelain plaque in original giltwood frame. The image of Mary Magdalene after the original Italian artist, Pompeo Batoni. The measurements framed are 16 inch...
Porcelain, Giltwood
Large Renaissance Style Painted Porcelain Plaque
Located in London, GB
Large Renaissance style painted porcelain plaque German, 20th century Frame: Height 50cm, width 64cm, depth 6cm Plaque: Height 34cm, width 49cm, depth 0.5cm In this beautifully painted porcelain plaque, a young woman in fine aristocratic clothing sits in a dark Renaissance style interior scene. She sits in a gold armchair, covered in ornate floral upholstery, stretching out her arm to pluck a rose from a bouquet of flowers on the table beside her. Behind her is a landscape painting with red velvet...
Porcelain, Giltwood
$4,800
H 23.5 in W 19.5 in D 1.5 in
Berlin KPM Hand-Painted Porcelain Plaque Depicting "Ruth, " Circa 1900
Located in Tarzana, CA
A Berlin KPM Hand Painted Porcelain Plaque Depicting "Ruth", within a gilt-wood frame Marked with K.P.M & Sceptre mark & numbered 237158h Titled...
Porcelain
$23,650
H 18 in W 15.25 in D 1 in
Large Antique KPM Hand Painted Plaque of Young Beauty Symbolizing Victory
By Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM)
Located in New York, NY
A large antique 19th century Belle Époque style KPM hand painted plaque of a young German woman wearing a bay laurel wreath, impressed KPM and scepter...
Porcelain
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.25 in W 16.25 in D 1.5 in
Continental 19th Century Enameled Decorated Porcelain Painted Plaque "Courting"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A fine continental 19th century enameled decorated porcelain plaque depicting a garden courting scene of a gentleman reading to poems to two young ladies, within an ebonized wood fra...
Porcelain, Wood
Sold
H 20.5 in W 12 in D 11 in
Pair of 19th Century Continental Porcelain Orientalist/Moorish Alhambra Vases
Located in New York, NY
A fantastic pair of 19th century Continental Porcelain Orientalist/Moorish Alhambra form vases. Each is beautifully decorated with a cream and burgundy ground in an Orientalist/Moori...
Porcelain
Wedgwood Moorish Fairyland Lustre Octagonal Bowl
By Wedgwood, Daisy Makeig-Jones
Located in New Orleans, LA
The exotic beauty of Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre is exemplified in this captivating octagonal bowl. Displaying the fantastical creativity for which Fairyl...
Porcelain
Antique Hand-Painted Copeland Porcelain Plaque "Milatus" Giltwood Frame
By Copeland
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Copeland porcelain plaque features hand-painted Orientalist Moorish cityscape scene with figures in gilt olive leaf surround with on cobalt ground having "Milatus" at base, s...
Porcelain, Giltwood
12 English Ovington Bros. Gilt Porcelain Dinner Plates by Royal Worcester
Located in Big Flats, NY
Set of 12 English Royal Worcester for Ovington Bros. Co. fine china porcelain dinner plates feature rims with gilt Moorish design over cobalt blue ground, en verso stamped, circa 190...
Porcelain
Pair of Antique Porcelain Perfume Bottles by Jacob Petit
By Jacob Petit
Located in London, GB
This pair of antique porcelain perfume bottles are made entirely of porcelain by Jacob Petit, a renowned maker who trained at the Sev...
Porcelain