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.
Antique Large Arabian Polished Brass Incense Burner Islamic Moorish Style 19th c
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large antique 19th century Turkish incense burner or fire pit with pierced brass and solid brass ornamentation. Museum quality Islamic collector metalwork piece footed incense censer...
Brass
Antique Middle Eastern Islamic Turkish Ewer and Copper Basin
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Handcrafted antique 19th century copper Middle Eastern Islamic copper ewer with basin. The Turkish Ottoman style Arabian brass ewer with a rounded body, on short splayed foot, engrav...
Copper
Middle Eastern Moorish Handcrafted Mosaic Decorative Box
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Exquisite handcrafted Middle Eastern mosaic marquetry inlaid walnut wood box. Small box intricately decorated with Moorish motif designs which h...
Fruitwood, Shell, Mother-of-Pearl
Antique Hand-Knotted Turkish Rug, Wool, Floral Design, 1940, Turkey
By Turkoman
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Small hand-knotted rug from Eastern Turkey, Antique oriental accent rug, carpet or mat. Vintage Turkish rug with rare colors. This hand-knotte...
Wool
$760Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Moroccan Kaftan 1970s Red and Gold Floral Brocade Caftan Maxi Dress
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Metallic red and gold brocade maxi dress kaftan hand made by Moroccan artist. Handmade vintage exotic 1970s gold and red metallic brocade ceremonial caftan gown from North Africa, M...
Brocade
Handcrafted Moroccan Gilt Metal Pendant, North Africa
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Gilt metal orb pendant handcrafted by skilled artisans in Morocco, North Africa. Amazing metal Moroccan lantern hand-pierced with thousands of small holes to diffuse the light throug...
Metal
Antique Brass Middle Eastern Dallah Arabic Coffee Pot
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
19th century antique Middle Eastern traditional Arabian tinned copper and brass Dallah coffee pot. Islamic Moorish coffee pot hand-hammered and chased c...
Brass, Copper
Vintage Moroccan Leather Rectangular Pouf in Red and Black
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large vintage red and black hand tooled leather Moroccan ottoman. Rectangular shape pouf in red and black leather embroidered with black and white silk threads. Handcrafted by skil...
Leather
Moorish Green Glass Perfume Bottle Sprinkler with Embossed Metal Overlay
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Handcrafted Moroccan Moorish green painted glass perfume bottle or rose water sprinkler with raised embossed silvered metal floral design over glass. The pressed glass bottle in Art Deco, Art Nouveau style is oval shape with curved sides and hand decorated with embossed metal silvered overlay. This has a long metal top spout that unscrews so the bottle can be filled to pour the perfume or rose water into this little luxe bottle. This is a recycled vintage French perfume bottle...
Metal
Handcrafted Moroccan Metal Orb Pendant, North Africa
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Metal orb pendant handcrafted by skilled artisans in Morocco, North Africa. Amazing metal Moroccan lantern hand-pierced with thousands of small holes to diff...
Metal
Moroccan Handcrafted Metal Lanterns, North Africa set of 2
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan Handcrafted Metal Hanging Lanterns, North Africa set of 2. Moroccan metal Moorish hanging lanterns. Amazing Moorish light fixtures hand...
Metal
Moorish Silver Plated Tea Pot, Handcrafted Brass, Morocco, 1940
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Traditional vintage silvered-metal and brass Moroccan tea pot, embossed with traditional repousse design, nicely aged, handcrafted in Fez, stamped in ...
Metal, Silver Plate, Brass
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Moroccan Caftan Floral Brocade Multicolored Embroidered Kaftan 1970s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Gorgeous vintage hostess gown, floral multicolored brocade Kaftan, circa 1970s. Exotic oriental floral long maxi caftan dress with wide arm and lo...
Brocade, Braid
Moroccan Amber Footed Glass Perfume Bottle Sprinkler with Embossed Metal Overlay
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Handcrafted Moroccan Moorish amber painted glass perfume bottle or rose water sprinkler with raised embossed silvered metal floral design over amber glass. The pressed glass bottle in Art Deco, Art Nouveau style is oval shape with curved sides and hand decorated with embossed metal silvered overlay. This has a long metal top spout that unscrews. This is a recycled vintage French perfume...
Metal
Hand Painted Middle Eastern Qajar Style Picture Photo Album
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Middle Eastern Qajar early 1900s Persian style picture photo album, with hand painted miniature on the cover. Middle Eastern scrapbook is hand painted with 22-karat gold, wi...
Paper
Moroccan Glass Perfume Bottle Sprinkler with Metal Overlay
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Handcrafted Moroccan Moorish amber painted glass perfume bottle or rose water sprinkler with raised embossed silvered metal floral design over amber glass. The pressed glass bottle in Art Deco, Art Nouveau style is oval shape with curved sides and hand decorated with embossed metal silvered overlay. This has a long metal top spout that unscrews. This is a recycled vintage French perfume...
Metal
Moroccan Red Glass Perfume Bottle Sprinkler with Embossed Metal Overlay
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Handcrafted Moroccan Moorish red painted glass perfume bottle or rose water sprinkler with raised embossed silvered metal floral design over red g...
Metal
Handcrafted Middle Eastern Mosaic Box, Fruitwood, Moorish Style, 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Exquisite handcrafted Middle Eastern mosaic marquetry inlaid wood box. Small octagonal box intricately decorated with a miniature painting of an old man with a textile in his hand motif and inlaid with mosaic marquetry. Middle Eastern, Asian micro mosaic box...
Fruitwood
$380Sale Price / item|20% Off
Large Moroccan Damask Green Bolster Lumbar Decorative Pillow
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large Moroccan damask green floral bolster lumbar decorative pillow. Great to use as accent pillows on a bed or sofa throw pillows. Pillow has a b...
Fabric
Moorish Hand-Painted Tile with Arabic Writing, Morocco, 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan handcrafted decorative tile with hand painted Arabic writing in brown on ivory crackle glazed ceramic. Arabic writing on ceramic tile hand-painted by artist in Fez Morocco....
Ceramic
Moroccan Hand-Painted Ceramic Tile with Moorish Style, 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan handcrafted decorative tile with hand painted Arabic writing in brown on ivory crackle glazed ceramic. Arabic writing on ceramic tile hand pai...
Ceramic
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Caftan, Dark Blue Silk Velvet with Silver Trim, 1960s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Amazing vintage caftan, royal blue silk velvet heavily hand embroidered with silver trim, circa 1970s The velvet kaftan is handcrafted and embel...
Metallic Thread
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Taupe and Ivory Cut Velvet Pillow with Metallic Beads
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Beige and ivory cut velvet pillow with metallic beads. Nice decorative lumbar pillow. This pillow features a central medallion with silver beads decoration, broken chevron ...
Linen, Velvet
$760Sale Price / set|20% Off
Large Pair of Moroccan Damask Green Bolster Lumbar Decorative Pillows
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large pair of Moroccan Damask green floral bolster lumbar decorative pillows. Great to use as accent pillows on a bed or sofa throw pillows. Pillow ...
Fabric
Moorish Ceramic Tile with Arabic Writing, Hand-Painted, Morocco, 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan handcrafted decorative tile with hand painted Arabic writing in brown on ivory crackle glazed ceramic. Arabic writing on ceramic tile hand pai...
Ceramic
Brass Repousse Rose Water Perfume Sprinkler Bottle
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Brass repousse decorative collectible rose, orange water perfume sprinkler bottle. Brass hammered and chase design. They are used to spray rose water on gue...
Brass
Vintage Moroccan Leather Pouf Hand-Tooled in Marrakesh Red and Black, 1970s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Moroccan red and black round leather pouf hand tooled in Marrakesh, Morocco. Handcrafted by Moroccan artisans. Size is 21 in. diameter x ...
Leather
Moroccan Round Leather Pouf Hand-Tooled in Marrakesh
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan blue and brown round leather pouf hand tooled in Marrakesh, Morocco. Handcrafted by skill Moroccan artisans. A pair is available, price ...
Leather
Moorish Glass Perfume Bottle Sprinkler with Embossed Metal Overlay
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Handcrafted Moroccan Moorish glass perfume bottle or rose water sprinkler with raised embossed silvered metal floral design over amber glass. The pressed glass bottle in Art Deco, Art Nouveau style is oval shape with curved sides and hand decorated with embossed metal silvered overlay. This has a long metal top spout that unscrews so the bottle can be filled to pour the perfume or rose water into this little luxe bottle. This is a recycled vintage French perfume bottle Reve D'Or and mark in the bottom by "L T Piver Paris". Handcrafted in Marrakech, Morocco by skilled artisans that used recycle perfume bottle and add the metal overlay...
Metal
Moroccan Hand-Painted Ceramic Tile with Moorish Style, 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan handcrafted decorative tile with hand painted Arabic writing in brown on ivory crackle glazed ceramic. Arabic writing on ceramic tile hand pai...
Ceramic
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Moroccan Hand Chased Black Metal Tray in Moorish Style, 20th Century
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Handcrafted in Morocco, hanging blackened round metal tray, hand chased with the doors of the city of Meknes. Black background with silver designs. D...
Metal
Moorish Ceramic Tile with Hand-Painted Arabic Writing, 20th Century
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Moroccan handcrafted decorative tile with hand painted Arabic writing in brown on ivory crackle glazed ceramic. Arabic writing on ceramic tile hand pai...
Ceramic
$680Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Moroccan Kaftan Brocade Embroidered with Pink and Gold Trim, circa 1970
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Elegant vintage designer Moroccan caftan, floral brocade embroidered with hot pink and gold trim. This chic Bohemian maxi dress kaftan is embroidered and embellished with gold and pi...
Brocade
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Elegant Moroccan Caftan Green and Gold Embroidered with Moorish Designs
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Elegant Moroccan caftan green and gold embroidered trim, circa 1980s. This long maxi dress kaftan is embroidered and embellished with traditional trim in gold. One of a kind Moroccan...
Fabric
Antique Hand-Knotted Turkish Rug, Wool Floral Design, 1940
By Turkoman
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Hand-knotted antique ethnic rug from Eastern Turkey, circa 1940. Size: 3ft 6 in x 5ft 8in. Traditional Turkish carpet with floral abstract design. Antique oriental accent rug...
Wool