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.
16th Century African Antique Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
16th Century African Antique Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Persian Antique Moorish Furniture
Terracotta
17th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Late 18th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
16th Century Portuguese Antique Moorish Furniture
Wool
1780s Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Wool
17th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Wrought Iron, Brass
17th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
17th Century Portuguese Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Moorish Furniture
Granite
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Moorish Furniture
Terracotta
18th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Cast Stone
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
1930s French Vintage Moorish Furniture
Terracotta
1960s Swiss Vintage Moorish Furniture
Concrete
1960s American Vintage Moorish Furniture
Cement
20th Century Italian Moorish Furniture
Terracotta
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Zinc, Steel
Mid-20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
18th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Clay
18th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Silver, Brass, Iron
Early 18th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Earthenware, Luster
17th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood