Moorish Furniture
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.
21st Century and Contemporary American Moorish Furniture
Softwood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Moorish Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
2010s Turkish Moorish Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Moorish Furniture
Wool
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Wrought Iron
2010s North American Moorish Furniture
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Moorish Furniture
Gold Plate
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Moorish Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Moorish Furniture
Fabric
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Resin
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Moorish Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Moorish Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl, Epoxy Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Moorish Furniture
Pottery, Terracotta
2010s Pakistani Moorish Furniture
Wool, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Alabaster