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.
1890s Austrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
1890s Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moorish Furniture
Olive
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Silk
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Leather
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Mahogany
1880s Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1990s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wool, Feathers
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl, Shell, Fruitwood
1930s Unknown Vintage Moorish Furniture
Tin, Copper
Early 20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl
20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Copper
1980s Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Terracotta
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Moorish Furniture
Velvet
Mid-20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Damask
20th Century Italian Moorish Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
Late 19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Shell, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
1940s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Syrian Moorish Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Algerian Moorish Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement
Late 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
1970s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Brocade, Braid
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass