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 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Leather
Early 1900s French Antique Moorish Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Tunisian Moorish Furniture
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Silver Plate, Brass
20th Century Maghreb Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Moorish Furniture
Crystal, Carrara Marble, Brass
Mid-19th Century African Antique Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
1930s Syrian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Iron
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Rosewood
Mid-19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood, Bone
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Copper
Late 19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
1890s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Glass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Glass, Mirror
1950s Italian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
1920s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
1880s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Boxwood, Walnut
20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Silver Plate, Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
1950s Unknown Vintage Moorish Furniture
Silver
1890s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 1900s Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
1890s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Late 20th Century Persian Moorish Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Unknown Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery
1970s Italian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Cane, Rattan
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metallic Thread
20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Moorish Furniture
Terracotta