Moorish Mirrors
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 19th Century Syrian Antique Moorish Mirrors
Metal
Early 20th Century Moorish Mirrors
Glass, Mirror
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Wood
Late 19th Century Maghreb Antique Moorish Mirrors
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Wood
1880s English Antique Moorish Mirrors
Boxwood, Walnut
Late 20th Century Indian Moorish Mirrors
Wood, Mirror, Mother-of-Pearl
Late 19th Century Lebanese Antique Moorish Mirrors
Walnut, Shell, Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Moorish Mirrors
Bone, Wood
1950s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Mirrors
Multi-gemstone, Metal, Wire
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Brass
19th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Resin
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Moorish Mirrors
Wood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Austrian Moorish Mirrors
Brass, Enamel
1980s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Mirrors
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Moorish Mirrors
Stone, Travertine, Marble
Early 1900s Syrian Antique Moorish Mirrors
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
1960s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Mirrors
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Brass
19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Mirrors
Glass
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Moorish Mirrors
Enamel, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Moorish Mirrors
Composition
19th Century Asian Antique Moorish Mirrors
Metal
1950s British Vintage Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 1900s Antique Moorish Mirrors
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Moorish Mirrors
Wood, Paint, Mirror
1940s Italian Vintage Moorish Mirrors
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Moorish Mirrors
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Bone, Walnut
Late 19th Century Lebanese Antique Moorish Mirrors
Walnut, Shell, Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Indian Moorish Mirrors
Wood, Mirror, Mother-of-Pearl
20th Century French Moorish Mirrors
Bronze
1960s Vintage Moorish Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Italian Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Hardwood
1940s American Vintage Moorish Mirrors
Mirror
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Paint, Wood
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Moorish Mirrors
Pewter
1950s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1940s Moroccan Vintage Moorish Mirrors
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Moorish Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Bone, Shell, Wood
20th Century American Moorish Mirrors
Brass
20th Century Moorish Mirrors
Bone
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Mirrors
Paint, Wood, Mirror
Mid-19th Century French Antique Moorish Mirrors
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Lebanese Moorish Mirrors
Shell, Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl, Walnut