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.
Middle Eastern Turkish Gold and Brown Patterned Area Rug
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Turkish style rectangular area rug with gold, beige, and brown pattern with a border and beige fringe (8.75\' x 12\')
Gold
Antique Moroccan Moorish Silk Textile Tapestry Wall Hanging Hiti
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Moroccan Moorish Silk Textile Tapestry Wall Hanging Hiti Ottoman voided silk velvet wall covering. Silk velvet cut designs, light browns, yellow, cream and blue, the panel consist on two arches with Islamic floral designs. Antique textiles from early 1900s. Each arch panel is 62" height X 26"5 wide Antique silk...
Silk
The Moorish Garden: A Vintage Persian Isfahan Masterpiece of Timeless Grandeur
Located in Dallas, TX
61034 Vintage Persian Isfahan Rug, 08'06 x 11'09. Steeped in refinement and cultural prestige, this hand-knotted wool vintage Persian Isfahan rug embodies the transcendent artistry o...
Wool
$880Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Turkish Flat-Stiched Textile Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
An antique Turkish flat-stitched Textile tapestry from the second quarter of the 20th century.
Wool
Vintage Spanish Cuenca Rug with Renaissance Wreath Pattern
Located in Milan, IT
The court workshop called 'Real Fabrica de Tapices' has been active in Madrid since the 17th century, supplying handmade carpets woven with Tur...
Wool
Middle Eastern Persian Red, Blue and Beige Rug
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Persian style (20th Century) rug in a colorful floral pattern of maroon, blue, yellow, eggshell with a center medallion and ending in wool tassel fringe Please note: ...
Eggshell
Hand-Knotted Extra Long Oriental Runner, Wool and Cotton 'All Over Pattern'
Located in Austin, TX
Appealing to collectors and designers, this unusually long Turkish runner (3' wide x 13'long) is a hand-knotted carpet made from top-quality wool/cotton. The high knot count, dense '...
Wool, Cotton
$360Sale Price|24% Off
Vintage Moroccan Tribal Handmade Wool Blue and Red Small Rug or Carpet
Located in Plainview, NY
Experience the opulence of this exquisite Moroccan tribal rug, handcrafted from premium sheep wool and adorned with vibrant blue and red tribal designs made from all-natural vegetabl...
Wool
Persian Style Red Beige and Blue Runner Carpet
Located in Queens, NY
Persian style geometric design red and beige wool rug carpet runner with blue border (28.5\' x 2.5\'). Please note: used/antique condition
Persian Bijar Maroon and Blue Wool Rug
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Persian Bijar (19th Century) rug carpet with maroon background and blue diamond design center medallion & border (8 x 10\'). Please note: used/antique condition
Persian Tabriz Blue and Beige Floral Rug
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Persian Tabriz rug with blue and beige colors and medallion center with floral designs (app. 15½\' x 11\') Please note: used/antique condition
Persian Style Kashan Floral Rug
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Persian style (20th Century) Kashan rug carpet with blue floral design on beige background with border (6.5\' x 10\'). Please note: used/antique condition
Ash
Persian Maroon and Blue Wool Rug
Located in Queens, NY
Persian tribal style maroon wool rug carpet with blue, beige, and gold and patterned with large-scale geometric forms (11.5 x 8.5\'). Please note: used/antique condition
Gold
Middle Eastern Persian Style Red and Beige Area Rug
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Persian style rug with red background and gold & beige floral pattern with a center medallion design (app 11\' x 8\') Please note: used/antique condition
Gold
$1,800
Ivory Brown Mohair Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Angora mohair wool rug in brown and ivory. Measures: 4'4'' x 6'9''.
Mohair
1900s Black Roses Antique Spanish Alpujarra Rug 5'3"x7'6" Knotted Wool Carpet
Located in New York, NY
Early 20th Century Spanish Alpujarra Carpet ( 5'3" x 7'6" - 160 x 228 ) Antique Spanish - Cuenca Carpet Spanish Knotted Rug, Circa Date: 1900s. This striking Spanish Cuenca carpet p...
Wool
18th Century Antique Alpujarra Spanish Rug
Located in Milan, IT
Alpujarra rugs were traditionally woven between the 15th and the 19th centuries in the villages of the Alpujarra district, located in southern Spain in the Granada region. These are ...
Wool
Antique Alpujarra Spanish Textured Rug Signed and Dated 1891
Located in Milan, IT
Alpujarra rugs were traditionally woven between the 15th and the 19th centuries in the villages of the Alpujarra district, located in southern Spain in the Granada region. These are ...
Wool
$1,475
Ivory Brown Mohair Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Angora mohair wool rug in brown and ivory. Measures: 4'8'' x 6'.
Mohair
Zabihi Collection Straw Color Antique Khotan Rug
Located in New York, NY
Khotan gallery rug with nice all-over geometric palette in a predominant straw color. Outline colors in ivory and brown Size: 6'10" x 13'5".
Wool
$99 / item
Black Mohair Rug Pillow
Located in New York, NY
Pillow made from a vintage mohair rug in black. zipper closure and poly foam insert provided. Measures: 16'' x 16''.
Wool
$5,500
Vintage Moroccan Carpet
Located in Closter, NJ
A mixed Arab and Berber population consisting of roughly six hundred tribes resides in Morocco, with many distinct differences in weave quality and design. Rugs woven in the Middle ...
Wool
Monochromatic Neutral Worn Turkish Rug
Located in New York, NY
A mid 20th-century neutral color turkish rug Size: 3'9” x 7' Antique Turkish Oushak carpets such as these are desirable today as highly decorative pieces. They are notable for ...
Wool
$119Sale Price|20% Off
Shabby Chic Orange Turkish Rug Pillow with Red Backside
Located in New York, NY
Pillow made from a vintage Turkish rug. 16'' x 16''
Wool, Cotton, Foam
Middle Eastern Persian Sarouk style wool carpet wiith a wide border
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Persian Sarouk style wool carpet with red background having an overall floral design with a wide decorative blue, beige and red border having 2 smaller borders on eith...
Middle Eastern Persian Sarouk style wool carpet
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Persian Sarouk style wool carpet with red background having an overall floral design and a diamond shaped center medallion with a decorative blue, beige and red border
Middle Eastern Persian Sarouk style wool carpet
Located in Queens, NY
Middle Eastern Persian Sarouk style wool carpet with red background having an overall floral design with a wide decorative blue, beige and red border and a white fringe on one side
Persian Blue and Red Wool Rug
Located in Queens, NY
Persian style cobalt-blue and red wool rug carpet with floral design. (approx. 9\' x 18\'). Please note: used/antique condition, one side has frayed edge.
Contemporary Transitional Decorative Bidjar Floral Rug
By Nasiri
Located in New York, NY
Our contemporary Bidjar rugs are inspired from 16th century Islamic textiles. We adapted those centuries-old designs into more modern, decorative motif...
Wool, Cotton
Rare Antique Needlework Rug with Polylobed Medallion and Confronting Leopards
Located in Milan, IT
This magnificent blue ground early Arraiolos needlepoint displays a polylobed central medallion clearly inspired by the so called ‘Star Variant’ 15th/16th Century Ushak rugs, being p...
Wool
Antique Hand-Knotted Turkish Rug, Wool, Floral Design, 1940, Turkey
By Turkoman
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Small hand-knotted rug from Eastern Turkey, Antique oriental accent rug, carpet or mat. Vintage Turkish rug with rare colors. This hand-knotte...
Wool
Shabby Chic Turkish Gallery Rug
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful worn 20th century gallery size Turkish rug. Faded blues and khaki tones. Measures: 5'6" x 10'11".
Wool
Carpet with the pattern of ancient Mamluk carpets and light shade
Located in Firenze, IT
Important contemporary production carpet made entirely by hand in Turkey, which is inspired by the famous "Mamluk" carpets. Mamluks are called Egyptian-made carpets, probably from Ca...
Wool
Grande tappeto Ushak fondo rosso con medaglione
Located in Firenze, IT
I tappeti Ushak in turco Usak sono tappeti famosissimi realizzati nella città Usak a nord di Denizli. Tappeti molto apprezzati dalla corte di Istambul che ne commissionava svariati s...
Wool
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Red Moroccan Rug or Carpet Handmade with Abstract and Geometric Design
Located in Plainview, NY
A stunning handwoven vintage Moroccan rug or carpet in a deep red color. The rug features captivating geometrical and berber abstract symbols. The rug ...
Wool
Vintage Moroccan Berber Rug
Located in Closter, NJ
A mixed Arab and Berber population consisting of roughly six hundred tribes resides in Morocco, with many distinct differences in weave quality and design. Rugs woven in the Middle ...
Wool
Antique Hand-Knotted Turkish Rug, Wool Floral Design, 1940
By Turkoman
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Hand-knotted antique ethnic rug from Eastern Turkey, circa 1940. Size: 3ft 6 in x 5ft 8in. Traditional Turkish carpet with floral abstract design. Antique oriental accent rug...
Wool
Hand-Knotted Moorish Moroccan Rug, Wool, 1950s, 325x138 CM
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
My carpets are not affected by fashions. Enjoy one genuine product, made to keep You company and be part of Your home. This one is like the sun and the moon, according to the hours o...
Wool
Moroccan Beniourain Black and White Striped Runner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Moroccan Berber checkered and striped white and black wool runner rug. Handwoven by the north African Ben Ourian tribe. Black stripes set against a white b...
Wool
Vintage Ait Touaya Moroccan Rug, Yellow & Red, Soft Weave, 280x140 cm
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
nr. 1157 - Vintage rare Moroccan rug: bright as a ray of sunshine from a beautiful Italian collection. It has a very interesting price ...Soft even to place on the sofa! Placed side...
Wool
Vintage Traditional Pattern Wool Carpet Runner a Superb Looking Piece
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Vintage Traditional Pattern Wool 10ft Carpet Runner A superb looking piece dating from around 1930 and it has a lovely colour palette of deep red with some dark blue and orange ...
Wool