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.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Moorish Furniture
Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fabric, Textile, Velvet
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
1890s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
1970s West Asian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Enamel
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Walnut
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1970s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood, Hardwood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
1950s Italian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Metal
1960s Turkish Vintage Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Leather
19th Century Maghreb Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Czech Moorish Furniture
Cut Glass
Early 20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Bone, Abalone, Walnut
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper, Tin
Mid-19th Century African Antique Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Glass
19th Century Unknown Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
1990s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood, Paint
1960s West Asian Vintage Moorish Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Velvet, Wood
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
1950s Unknown Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood, Shell
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl, Fabric, Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century North American Moorish Furniture
Velvet, Ebony
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany, Walnut
Late 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fabric, Damask, Satin, Velvet
1890s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
1990s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
1950s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
Late 19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper, Tin, Pewter
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Shell, Fruitwood
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood, Cedar
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Tin
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Abalone, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Paint
Late 19th Century German Antique Moorish Furniture
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Wrought Iron