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.
Late 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Tin
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Copper
Early 1800s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal, Nickel
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood, Paint
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Bone, Mirror, Wood, Walnut
20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Tin, Copper
1920s British Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Leather
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Bone, Horn, Wood
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Pottery
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
1920s British Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Mid-18th Century Persian Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal, Copper, Tin
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Silk
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
1970s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
1850s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Paper
20th Century Unknown Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
Early 20th Century Greek Moorish Furniture
Fabric
19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brocade
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary American Moorish Furniture
Fabric
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl
Mid-20th Century Unknown Moorish Furniture
Brass
1950s Austrian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Porcelain, Hardwood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood, Bone, Leather
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Canvas
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wood
1930s British Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement, Iron
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
1990s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
1910s Austrian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood, Hardwood
Early 20th Century Egyptian Moorish Furniture
Wood
1930s British Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1930s British Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper