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 Moorish Egyptian Pearl Inlaid Folding Chair
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern Moorish walnut wood folding chair with intricate foliate carving and mother of pearl, shell inlays. Moroccan Moorish style folding chair inlaid with mother of...
Wood
Middle Eastern 19th Century Moorish Folding Chair Shell Inlaid
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern Egyptian Moorish walnut wood folding chair with intricate foliate carving and mother of pearl, shell inlays. Arabian Syrian styl...
Shell, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Indian Rajasthani A pair of polychrome painted chairs with gilt chord embroidery
Located in London, GB
Indian Rajasthani. A rare pair of period side chairs finely painted in polychrome colours with the original floral gilt chord embroidery seats, the seats a little worn with minor los...
Wood
$1,651Sale Price|35% Off
19th Century Burmese Elephant Howdah Seat
Located in Waxahachie, TX
19th Century Burmese Elephant Howdah Seat. The upholstered seat cushion is newer than the wood seat. The cushion is probably 1960-70s. Has zipper...
Rosewood
Moroccan Moorish Style 1900s Side Chair with Richly Carved Décor and Star Inlay
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Moroccan Moorish style accent side chair from the early 20th century, with richly carved décor, mother-of-pearl inlay, Arabic calligraphy and X-Form base. Created in Morocco during...
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Liberty & Co. Moorish Side or Childs Chair with Mashrabiya Turned Details
Located in London, GB
Liberty & Co. Moorish side or child's chair with Mashrabiya turned details to the backrest and on all four sides below the seats, with a red studded leather seat, with Moorish arched...
Walnut
Moorish Egyptian 19th Century Folding Chair Inlaid
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern Moorish walnut wood folding chair with intricate foliate carving and mother of pearl, shell inlays. Moroccan Moorish style folding chair inlaid with mother of...
Wood
$2,900 / item
19th Century Moorish Wood Inlaid Folding Chair
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Middle Eastern Moorish wood folding chair with intricate foliate carving and mother-of-pearl inlays. Inlaid with mother-of-pearl stars and moon designs, hand-carved with Arabic call...
Bone, Wood
19th Century Middle Eastern Egyptian Moorish Corner Chairs
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique late 19th century Middle Eastern Egyptian Moorish side chairs finely hand carved with intricate wood fretwork and inlaid with shell. Nice mouchar...
Wood, Shell
$5,950 / set
21st Century Spanish Set of Ten Iron Side Chairs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Ten Spanish side chairs in iron with a straight back and playful handcrafted partial backrest. This type of seated furniture is perfect for a Moorish or Spanish style. Wear consisten...
Metal, Iron
Moorish 19th Century Folding Chair Inlaid
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern Egyptian Moorish walnut wood folding chair with intricate foliate carving and mother of pearl, shell inlays. Arabian Syrian styl...
Wood
A Moorish ebonized parlour chair with Musharabieh turnings
Located in London, GB
Liberty and Co attributed. A Moorish ebonized parlour chair with Musharabieh turnings to each side of the back and also uniting the seat to the lower stretchers, with extending arched feet. With a beautiful original floral beaded tapestry...
Walnut
Middle Eastern Moorish 19th Century Folding Chair
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern Egyptian Moorish walnut wood folding chair with intricate foliate carving and mother of pearl, shell inlays. Arabian Syrian style folding chair inlaid with mo...
Shell, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Moorish 19th Century Middle Eastern Inlaid Folding Chair
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern wood folding Moorish chair with intricate foliate carving inlays. Inlaid and hand carved with Arabic design motif and folia...
Wood
Moorish Moroccan 19th Century Folding Chair Inlaid
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern Moorish walnut wood folding chair with intricate foliate carving and mother of pearl, shell inlays. Moroccan Moorish style folding chair inlaid with mother of...
Wood
Middle Eastern 19th Century Inlaid Moorish Folding Chair
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern Moorish walnut wood folding chair with intricate foliate carving and shell inlays. Inlaid with shell stars and moon designs, hand carved with Arabic calligraph...
Wood, Shell
small Damascus bench, oriental work from the mid-19th century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
small Damascus bench, oriental work from the mid-19th century fine sculptures and bone inlay. The fabric is not perfect, but original;
Wood, Bone
$3,950 / set
H 38.25 in W 19.5 in D 19 in
Pair of Swedish Rococo Chairs with Traces of Original Paint, Circa 1770
Located in Atlanta, GA
A genuine pair of period Rococo chairs dating to circa 1770, retaining traces of their original painted surfaces. The frames have been carefully scraped back, revealing a softly worn...
Wood
Pair of Cal-Style Side Chairs
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A pair of Cal-Style Mid-Century Modern side chairs with tubular chrome base and original upholstered seat and back.
Chrome
English Child's Chair of Fruitwood with Rush Seat
Located in Austin, TX
A fine English child's chair from the 19th century, featuring a handsomely patinated fruitwood frame with splat back and rush seat.
Rush, Wood, Fruitwood
$2,240Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 32.29 in W 18.51 in D 18.9 in
Pair of 19th Century Biedermeier Fruitwood Side Chairs
Located in Berlin, DE
A pair of beautifully honey colored fruitwood Biedermeier side chairs, with gently curved rectangular backs, the top and side inlaid with banding, the splat carved with a stylized flower head, on sabre legs. Newly upholstered in black Prussian horse hair fabric...
Fruitwood
Chinese Hongmu Corner Chair, 19th Century
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A Chinese Hongmu corner chair, 19th century. The horseshoe-form back with molded crest above a pair of open carved splats with fruiting and fl...
Wood
$383
H 27.56 in W 18.31 in D 16.93 in
Oak & Straw Fireside Chair in the Manner of Charles Dudouyt, French, C. 1940s
Located in London, GB
A charming turned oak and straw low chair very much in the manner of Charles Dudouyt. French, c. 1940s.
Straw, Oak
Pair Of Hand Painted Gustavian Accent Chairs
Located in Bruton, GB
A delightful pair of painted wooden side chairs in the Swedish tradition, featuring softly shaped crest backs with elegant scroll detailing and turned legs. Finished in a serene pale...
Hardwood
English 19th century fruitwood chair with a rush seat
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A sweet English 19th century fruitwood chair with a rush seat. This chair was hand-crafted in England circa 1870 and is just darling with...
Rush, Wood, Fruitwood
Chairs Italian 19th Baroque Style Black Leather Century Italy
Located in New York, NY
Chairs Italian 19th Black Leather Century Italy. A pair of side chairs made during the 19th century in Italy. Upholstered in a thick black leather with brass needle...
Leather, Wood
19th Century French Gothic Revival Chair
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century French Gothic Revival chair is a wonderful testament to the craftsmen of a bygone era! Hand-sculpted from old growth oak, it feature...
Oak
Pair of 19th Century Klismos Chairs
Located in New York, NY
A pair 19th century Danish Klismos chairs. Collected in Copenhagen elegant pair of late 19th century Danish Klismos Chairs. Ebonized hardwood wi...
Hardwood
$4,450 / set
H 42.52 in W 24.02 in D 27.76 in
19th Century Spanish Colonial Altar Carved Armchairs with Wood Seat
Located in Miami, FL
19th century Spanish colonial altar armchairs with wood seat with ornamental carved on the back and beautiful legs and armchairs. There are a very resistant and heavy armchairs. Mea...
Walnut
Moresque Side Chair With Metal Inlay Circa 1910
Located in Petworth, GB
Moresque side chair Profusely inlaid with metal, possibly pewter Ebonised beech Italian In the style of Carlo Bugatti Circa 1910 Height 112cm. Width 29cm. Depth 36cm Seat Heigh...
Beech
Sold
H 52 in W 17.5 in D 19.5 in
19th -C. British Colonial / Moroccan Style Inlaid And Carved Side Chairs - Pair
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a pair of 19th century heavily carved Moorish side chairs. The mother of pearl inlay is in very good condition. Both seats are upholstered in carpet remnants. They are unmark...
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Pair of Antique Inlaid Syrian Damascus Armchairs
Located in London, GB
A stunning pair of antique Syrian Damascus armchairs, dating from around the 1900-1920 period. They are of extremely high quality, with absolutely stunning inlay throughout of var...
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
19th C. Hammered Metal & Leather Moroccan Side Chair
Located in Saint Petersburg, FL
Upholstered in leather, chair displays intricate detailing - hand hammered metal, various studded detailing. Chair frame is wood and is raised on square inlaid legs with carved Arabi...
Metal
Hand Painted Indian Rajasthani Side Chair
By Southeast Asia
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Indian Rajasthani low chair with handwoven seat. An antique Indian Moorish rustic low wooden chair. Charming our eyes with its rustic appearance, this low wooden chair features a straight back. With its nicely weathered appearance and delicate décor, this Indian wooden chair...
Cane, Wood
Pair of Spanish Moorish High Back Hall Chairs
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Beautiful Spanish Moorish Revival chairs with hand carved wood Gothic details. Accent any setting with this unique hall chairs. Pair of Spanish High ba...
Wood
Set of 4 Painted Middle Eastern Side Chairs
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Set of 4 painted and carved middle Eastern side chairs, circa 1930s. Height of seat without cushion 17". Height of seat with cushion 21".
Wood, Paint
Sold
H 38.25 in W 17 in L 38.25 in
Liberty & Co. a Pair of Moorish Side Chairs with Carving & Moucharabieh Turnings
Located in London, GB
Liberty & Co. a pair of Moorish side chairs with stylised floral carvings to the top and moucharabieh turnings to the sweeping backs and below the seats to the front and to the sides...
Walnut
Pair of Ottoman Empire Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Side Chairs
Located in Stamford, CT
Impressive pair of mother-of-pearl and metal inlaid chairs with intricate hardwood turnings. The skill and time that went into creating these chairs is remarkable. Each with a crest ...
Mother-of-Pearl
Pair of Middle Eastern Egyptian Moorish Armchairs
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Pair of Egyptian armchairs with faux leather seat cushion with Moorish lattice fret work on side and back with Moorish arches design in the style of Carlo Bugatti. Hispano Moresque style, Alhambra design with Moorish Islamic arches...
Faux Leather, Wood
Sold
H 48 in W 14.5 in D 14.75 in
Pair of Moroccan / African Teak Accent Chairs, Unusual Sculptural Design
Located in Kansas City, MO
Two Moroccan teak chairs. We love the condition of these chairs. Just the right amount of attractive wear to the original leather seats. Structurally sou...
Leather, Teak
Pair of Syrian Walnut Side Chairs
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Middle Eastern Syrian (20th Cent) side chairs in walnut with inlaid mother of pearl and ebony with spindle & ball and finial details (matching 2 arms & settee 060219/CON62)
Ebony, Mother-of-Pearl, Walnut