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.
Mid-20th Century Mexican Moorish Furniture
Tin
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fabric
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Paint
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Brass
Mid-20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Copper
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Cement
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass, Copper
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wood
1890s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Leather, Cedar
Late 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Wool, Cotton
Mid-20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
1830s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century French Moorish Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Paper
20th Century Italian Moorish Furniture
Glass
20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Mohair
Early 20th Century Tunisian Moorish Furniture
Paper
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Mohair
Mid-20th Century Unknown Moorish Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Gold, Foil
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate, Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Faux Leather
20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Copper
Late 19th Century European Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century East Turkestani Moorish Furniture
Wool
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Shell, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
1890s Antique Moorish Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century African Moorish Furniture
Ebony
20th Century African Moorish Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century African Moorish Furniture
Gold
19th Century African Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
1990s Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brass
19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Furniture
Bronze
1880s Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Fruitwood
1880s British Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Ebony
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
2010s American Moorish Furniture
Metallic Thread
Early 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Fabric





