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 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
1920s Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wood
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Ebony, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement, Iron
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
1890s Austrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
1930s British Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood, Hardwood
Early 20th Century Egyptian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Silk
Late 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Tin
20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
1950s Italian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 1900s European Antique Moorish Furniture
Parchment Paper
Late 19th Century Omani Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Pine, Rush
1930s British Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper
20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Copper
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
1930s British Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Persian Moorish Furniture
Wool
Early 1900s Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood, Shell, Mother-of-Pearl
Mid-20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Teak
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Walnut
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Furniture
Bronze
1930s British Vintage Moorish Furniture
Paper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Thai Antique Moorish Furniture
Paint
1880s British Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
1990s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fabric, Textile, Velvet