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 Unknown Moorish Furniture
Terracotta
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood
Early 19th Century Southeast Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Pewter
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wool
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
Late 19th Century West Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood, Pine
1920s Syrian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wood
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Glass
Early 1900s French Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Hardwood
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Abalone, Fruitwood
1970s Zambian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
1870s American Antique Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Maple
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
19th Century Austrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl
Late 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Ebony, Kingwood, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Glass
1930s Asian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Ebony, Mahogany
1960s Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Early 20th Century Egyptian Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Gold, Foil
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wool
19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Canvas
1910s Austrian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Cement
Late 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood, Bone
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Afghan Moorish Furniture
Upholstery, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
Late 19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal, Sheet Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Porcelain, Hardwood
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Furniture
Bronze
1980s Italian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Art Glass