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.
Early 1900s European Antique Moorish Furniture
Parchment Paper
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Copper
Early 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Copper, Brass, Metal
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Hardwood
1920s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass, Tin
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Early 20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s African Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Cotton
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Cotton, Silk
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Unknown Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Ebony, Walnut
1910s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Paint, Wood
Early 20th Century Czech Moorish Furniture
Cut Glass
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Plaster
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Silk
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
Early 1900s Italian Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Fabric
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
1910s Austrian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Egyptian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Glass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware, Pottery
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood
Early 20th Century Tunisian Moorish Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass