Moorish Wall Decorations
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.
Early 20th Century Moorish Wall Decorations
Wood
19th Century African Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Mid-20th Century African Moorish Wall Decorations
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Canvas
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Mahogany
20th Century Moorish Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
1920s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
20th Century French Moorish Wall Decorations
Canvas
1920s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
1920s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
1920s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 20th Century French Moorish Wall Decorations
Fabric
1850s English Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Wood
1920s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
1920s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 19th Century German Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
1930s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 1800s English Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 20th Century Spanish Moorish Wall Decorations
Alabaster
1840s German Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
1930s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
1920s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
1920s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Canvas
Mid-20th Century African Moorish Wall Decorations
Gold
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Brass
19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Brass
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Italian Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Silk
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Metal
Mid-20th Century Turkish Moorish Wall Decorations
Ceramic
19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Brass
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Linen, Silk, Sequins
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Metal
19th Century African Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Brocade
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Silk, Velvet
Late 19th Century German Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Gold
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Silver Leaf
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Metal
1920s British Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
19th Century French Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Birch
16th Century Emirian Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Porcelain
1950s African Vintage Moorish Wall Decorations
Wool
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
20th Century Persian Moorish Wall Decorations
Bone
1830s English Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
1830s English Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Paint
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century Asian Moorish Wall Decorations
Brass
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Wall Decorations
Metal
Early 20th Century Moorish Wall Decorations
Shell, Wood
20th Century Persian Moorish Wall Decorations
Bone
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Plaster, Wood
19th Century Algerian Antique Moorish Wall Decorations
Paint





