Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
MOORISH STYLE
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.
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Style: Moorish
Exceptional Inlaid Games Box
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Large rectangular Games Box intricately inlaid in many different woods with all surfaces in detailed Geometric patterns. The Board is capable for playing Chess, Backgammon and Checke...
Category
20th Century Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Moorish Persian Inlaid Micro Mosaic Backgammon and Chess Board
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan Moorish Persian Inlaid Micro Mosaic Backgammon and Chess Board.
Intricately inlaid handcrafted Moorish Persian backgammon and chess checker...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Fruitwood
Middle Eastern Micro Mosaic Octagonal Chess Game with Horn Pieces
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Intricately inlaid handcrafted Persian styled chess game board and handcrafted horn and pone chess pieces.
Handcrafted beautiful Middle Eastern Moorish style Khatam chess board cover...
Category
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood, Bone, Horn
Moroccan Antique Berber Case Flask Hand-carved
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Hand made early 20th century Moroccan antique Berber case flask, carved wood covered with brass and silvered metal filigree, delicately hand-hammered metal with animals decor for pow...
Category
1920s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass, Tin
Antique Indo Persian Dhal Separ Shield
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Intriguing historical 19th Century Indo Persian shield handcrafted in steel and decorated with four floral protuberances and engraved figures, reta...
Category
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Steel
Carved Turkish Figural Meerschaum Moorish Pipe
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Carved Turkish Figural Meerschaum Pipe with Moorish Turkish Bearded head.
Meerschaum pipe is a smoking pipe made from the mineral sepiolite, also known as meerschaum. Meerschaum , German for "sea foam" is sometimes found floating on the Black Sea and is rather suggestive of sea foam (hence the German origin of the name, as well as the French name for the same substance, écume de mer).
Meerschaum, also known as curlstone, is a unique mineral mined in the Anatolian province of Eskisehir. Local artisans hand carve the stone into collectibles, most notably tobacco pipes...
Category
20th Century Turkish Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver Plate
Vintage Moroccan Caftan, Black and Gold Embroidered, ca. 1960s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Amazing vintage Moroccan Caftan, black silk damask heavily with gold threads. Circa 1960's
The black heavy damask kaftan was entirely made by ...
Category
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metallic Thread, Gold
$1,480 Sale Price
20% Off
Vintage Raj Handcrafted Camel Toy India, 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Raj embroidered large camel toy, India, 1950.
Handmade in Rajasthan, India, colorful fabric camel toy.
Vintage oversized camel stuffed cotton embroidered and decorated with...
Category
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Cotton
Two Indo Persian Engraved Dhal Metal Shields, Priced Individually
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Two intriguing historical 19th Century Indo Persian shields, one handcrafted in bronze with four protuberances and engraved floral designs highligh...
Category
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Bronze, Enamel, Steel
Large Vintage Moroccan Ethnic Fibula Collectible Jewelry
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Beautiful vintage Moroccan fibula.
Berber ethnic fibula used to close a woman's cape.
Nice ethnic artwork with filigree Moroccan silver and adorned wit...
Category
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
The Moroccan Pottery La Poterie Marocaine by André Boukobza French Edition Hardc
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
The Moroccan Pottery, french edition. Hardcover large book 1st edition 1974.
La Poterie Marocaine André Boukobza.
1974, 160 pages André Boukobza Photos with Artifacts.
The work of...
Category
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Moorish Style Etched Iron Halberd
Located in Queens, NY
Moorish-style short halberd spear with iron shaft and etched ax blade.
Category
20th Century Unknown Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Porcelain
Treasures of Islam Collectible Art Book by Toby Folk 1985
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Treasures of Islam by Toby FALK,
Hardback in the excellent pictorial dust-jacket. pp 400; 567 color illustrations.
Catalogue of the immense exhibition of Islamic Art held at the ...
Category
20th Century Asian Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Antique Asian Bronze Large Camel Toy on Wheels 19th C
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
A scene from Ramakian or Ramayan, the Indian epic Rama and Sita.
Large and heavy Antique Indian Temple toy metal camel, bronze camel on wheels.
Camel with r...
Category
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Bronze
AL Malaikah Vintage Iconic Masonic Shriner Burgundy Wool Fez Hat in Original Box
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
AL Malaikah vintage Masonic Shriner iconic burgundy wool Fez hat with original box.
Al Malaikah, legion of Honor vintage fez hat from the Los Angeles ...
Category
1970s American Vintage Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wool
AL-ANDALUS. El Islam en España by Juan Vernet, Martin Martinez, Collectible Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
AL-ANDALUS. El Islam en España, multilingual Spanish and English text.
VERNET, Juan, MARTINEZ MARTIN, Leonor.
Published by Lunwerg Barcelona, 1992
This beautifully illustrated vol...
Category
20th Century Spanish Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Turkish Miniature Paintings and Manuscripts from the Collection of Edwin Binney
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Turkish Miniature Paintings and Manuscripts from the Collection of Edwin Binney,
Binney, Edwin (1973)
Examples of the Turkish pictorial a...
Category
20th Century Turkish Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Moorish Brass Inlaid Camel Saddle /Towel Rack
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Moorish Brass inlaid camel saddle /towel rack
The finest example, heavily inlaid with brass, possibly originally an officers or wealthy persons saddle.
Can be easily mounted and ...
Category
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass, Iron
$1,160 Sale Price
38% Off
The American Discovery of Ancient Egypt 1995
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
The American Discovery of Ancient Egypt 1995.
Essays, edited by Nancy Thomas.
A survey of the achievements of American Egyptology featuring such enterpris...
Category
Late 20th Century Egyptian Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Set of Beautiful Litographic Postcards from North Africa by Lehnert
Landrock
Located in Mexico, DF
A beautiful Set of 20 Postcards with original photos of Arab cultures of North Africa created and commercialized by Lehnert & Landrock and signed "Editeurs L&L". This was a photographic studio run by Rudolf Franz Lehnert (Germany 1878-1948) and Ernst Heinrich Landrock (Bohemia 1878-1966) active in Tunisia and Egypt in the early 20th century, noted for producing Orientalist images of North African people...
Category
Early 20th Century Tunisian Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
$1,920 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Orientalist Pair of Polychromed Plaster Arabesque Figures
Located in Houston, TX
Orientalist pair of polychromed plaster arabesque figures.
Finely detailed pair of Orientalist polychromed plaster Arabesque or Moorish figures. Thi...
Category
Early 20th Century Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Plaster
Vintage Masonic Shriner Burgundy Ceramic Vase
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
AL Malaikah vintage Masonic Shriner iconic burgundy Fez hat design ceramic planter or vase.
Vintage fez hat from Los Angeles Al Malaikah Shriner mason...
Category
1970s American Vintage Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Ceramic
AL Malaikah Vintage Iconic Masonic Shriner Burgundy Wool Fez Hat
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
AL Malaikah vintage Masonic Shriner iconic burgundy wool Fez hat.
Al Malaikah, legion of Honor vintage fez hat from the Los Angeles Al Malaikah Shrine...
Category
Late 20th Century American Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wool
Moorish Style Double Sided Iron Halberd
Located in Queens, NY
Moorish style short halberd spear with iron shaft and double ax blade.
Category
20th Century Unknown Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
L
ABCdaire de la calligraphie arabe (ABCDAIRES) (French Edition) Paperback Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
L'ABCdaire de la calligraphie arabe (ABCDAIRES) (French Edition) Paperback – May 16, 2002
French Edition by Massoudy Hassan (Author)
The basics of Arabic calligraphy paperback - may 21, 2002
by Hassan Massoudy...
Category
20th Century French Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Amazing Vintage Caftan, Caramel Velvet and Gold Embroidered, ca. 1960s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Amazing vintage handmade caftan, caramel color crushed silk velvet heavily with gold rim threads. Circa 1960's
The honey gold velvet kaftan is embroidered and embellished entirely by hand, super-luxe designer kaftan...
Category
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metallic Thread
$1,480 Sale Price
20% Off
Architecture de L
islam de L
atlantique au Gange by Henri Stierlin 1979 Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Architecture de l'Islam. De l'Atlantique au Gange
Stierlin, Henri.
Architecture of Islam.
Publisher : Office du Livre;
First Edition: January 1, 1979.
Language : French
Hardcover : 288 pages
This book shows the architectural history and characteristics.
of each region of the Islamic world from a cultural context.
It is full of beautiful color photographs taken by the author and newly made drawings.
The most important point is that the author, Stierlin, clarifies the feature of Islamic architecture...
Category
20th Century Asian Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Spanish Splendor Great Palaces Castles and Country Homes Hardcover Book Rizzoli
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Spanish Splendor: Great Palaces, Castles, and Country Homes hardcover book.
y Mato, Juan Jose Junquera (text by); Schezen, Roberto (photographs by); y Morenes, Enrique Ruspoli (intro...
Category
20th Century Spanish Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Mediterranean Design Book by Mary Whitesides 1st Edition, 2006
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Mediterranean Design hardcover – August 17, 2006.
by Mary Whitesides (Author).
Title: Mediterranean Design
Publisher: brand: Gibbs Smith
Publication date: 2006
Binding: Hardcover
Great hardcover coffee table book.
Mediterranean Design reveals the vibrant color, outdoor-living emphasis, and diverse cultural influences that have created this unique style. Defined by an eclectic mix of natural elements: sunlight bouncing across textured walls, rooms arranged around porch-lined courtyards, terra-cotta tile roofs covering wood-beam ceilings, arched passages and porticos, vibrantly colored interiors, and courtyards and fountains that take advantage of the temperate climate. Mediterranean Design brings home the romantic and worldly appeal of a style that finds its heritage in the diverse lands of Morocco, Spain, Greece, Turkey, France, and Croatia.
Mediterranean Design highlights the unique aspects of the style, such as spatial orientation of the rooms is defining and private vestibules and porches rather than hallways connecting functional spaces, bedrooms as suites rather than lonely rooms, bathrooms as spas rather than generic or merely functional rooms.
Details such as arches, pillars, high ceilings, fountains, gardens, pergolas, lime-washed walls, stone façades...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Topkapi Palace by Ilhan Aksit Le Palais de Topkapi
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Le Palais de Topkapi, Topkapi Palace.
Published 1993 by Aksit Kultur Turizm Sanat Ajans
First Edition January 1993)
Edition Language French.
By the 16th cent...
Category
20th Century Turkish Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
The Land and People of Morocco by William Spencer, 1973
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
The land and people of Morocco (Portraits of the nations series) Hardcover –
January 1, 1973
by William Spencer (Author)
Introduces the land, histo...
Category
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Four Terra Cotta Minaret Form Candle Covers or Objects
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Moroccan set of four white glazed terra cotta candle covers or objects of art in the classic form of minarets.
Category
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Terracotta
Moorish collectibles and curiosities for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Moorish collectibles and curiosities for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage collectibles and curiosities created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles, wall decorations, folk art and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with paper, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Moorish collectibles and curiosities made in a specific country, there are Africa, North Africa, and Maghreb pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original collectibles and curiosities, popular names associated with this style include Berber Tribes of Morocco, Alexander McQueen, MOMA Museum New York, and Rizoli International Publications. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for collectibles and curiosities differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $49 and tops out at $2,850 while the average work can sell for $285.
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