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 Unknown Moorish Furniture
Brass
1870s Austrian Antique Moorish Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Moorish Furniture
Cotton
Mid-19th Century Egyptian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
1890s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Copper
Mid-20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Glass
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Spanish Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Turkish Antique Moorish Furniture
Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Copper
1930s Turkish Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Thai Antique Moorish Furniture
Paint
1970s American Vintage Moorish Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fabric
Late 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Brass, Copper, Iron
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian Moorish Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Moorish Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Foam
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Egyptian Moorish Furniture
Paper
20th Century Afghan Moorish Furniture
Upholstery, Pine
20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Silk
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal, Nickel
1890s English Antique Moorish Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Wood
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Furniture
Brass, Iron
1950s Unknown Vintage Moorish Furniture
Silver
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Furniture
Wool
20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
19th Century Persian Antique Moorish Furniture
Metal, Copper
Mid-20th Century Unknown Moorish Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Brocade
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Fabric
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Asian Moorish Furniture
Paint, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Composition, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Moorish Furniture
Stone, Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Canvas
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Fabric
Early 20th Century Indian Moorish Furniture
Metallic Thread
17th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century English Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Moorish Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century Moorish Furniture
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Furniture
Metal
1970s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Furniture
Fabric
Early 20th Century Moorish Furniture
Plaster
1970s American Vintage Moorish Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Moorish Furniture
Paper





