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 Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
Early 1900s African Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Paint
Late 20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl, Fabric, Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
1990s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century European Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
20th Century German Moorish Furniture
Porcelain, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany, Walnut
Early 20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century African Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s French Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement
Late 19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
17th Century Portuguese Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Brass
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
1950s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wood
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Late 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Silk
20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
1980s Spanish Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Shell, Fruitwood, Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl
Late 19th Century German Antique Moorish Furniture
Mid-19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Abalone, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Shell, Fruitwood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brocade
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century African Moorish Furniture
Enamel
Mid-20th Century Italian Moorish Furniture
Composition
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Moorish Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper, Iron
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bone, Wood
20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Brass
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Mexican Moorish Furniture
Tin
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic