Moorish Home Accents
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 Moorish Home Accents
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century African Antique Moorish Home Accents
Bone, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Home Accents
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Home Accents
Bone
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Home Accents
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Home Accents
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Ebony, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Home Accents
Ormolu
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Home Accents
Velvet
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Home Accents
Bronze
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Home Accents
Wrought Iron
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Home Accents
Wrought Iron
19th Century Antique Moorish Home Accents
Upholstery, Teak
Early 20th Century French Moorish Home Accents
Wrought Iron
20th Century Unknown Moorish Home Accents
19th Century Japanese Antique Moorish Home Accents
Paper
17th Century French Antique Moorish Home Accents
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Moorish Home Accents
Brass
20th Century Moorish Home Accents
Brass
Early 20th Century English Moorish Home Accents
Bronze, Iron
1970s American Vintage Moorish Home Accents
Mahogany, Glass
Early 19th Century English Antique Moorish Home Accents
Tapestry, Rosewood
20th Century Asian Moorish Home Accents
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Moorish Home Accents
Brass
1950s British Vintage Moorish Home Accents
Brass
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Home Accents
Wood, Bone
1920s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Home Accents
Brass
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Home Accents
Agate, Silver
Early 20th Century French Moorish Home Accents
Metal
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Home Accents
Wrought Iron
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Home Accents
Brass
Mid-20th Century Syrian Moorish Home Accents
Bone, Teak
Mid-20th Century Syrian Moorish Home Accents
Mother-of-Pearl, Teak
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Home Accents
Brass
Early 20th Century Omani Moorish Home Accents
Brass
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Home Accents
Brass