Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
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.
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
20th Century Italian Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
1940s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Silver Plate, Brass
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Omani Antique Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass, Copper
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass, Copper, Tin
Early 20th Century Czech Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Cut Glass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
1970s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
Late 20th Century Turkish Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
Mid-20th Century American Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Metal
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass
20th Century Italian Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
1980s Italian Vintage Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Pottery
20th Century Italian Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
20th Century French Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl, Epoxy Resin
Late 19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass
1990s Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Italian Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass
1990s Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Paint
20th Century German Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Porcelain, Giltwood
1990s Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Paint
Early 20th Century Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass
1990s Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
1860s German Antique Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Glass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Paint
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Pottery
Early 2000s Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Paint
Late 19th Century German Antique Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Gold
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Stoneware
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pottery
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Copper