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.
1860s Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper, Tin, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany, Walnut
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Hardwood, Ebony, Mahogany, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Early 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
Early 20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century American Antique Moorish Furniture
Plaster
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Silk, Velvet
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Moorish Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Blown Glass
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Upholstery, Teak
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass, Iron
Late 19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Hardwood
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Leather, Pine
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
18th Century Persian Antique Moorish Furniture
Terracotta
1930s Syrian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
16th Century African Antique Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Metal
16th Century African Antique Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
1990s North American Moorish Furniture
Paper
20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
1890s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Oak
1920s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wood
19th Century Algerian Antique Moorish Furniture
Paint
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Silk
1850s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Hardwood
2010s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wool
1950s Italian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wood
1980s Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Fabric