They were Muslims and some were even found in Spain. They were often referred to as, Nubian Slaves. Blackamoors have a long history in decorative art and it stretches all the way back to the 17th century. The trend seemed to have started in Italy and especially in Venice.
The Moors were sometimes used to steer the Gondola boats and this is the earliest pictures we find of them. Statues of Blackamoors in theses boats are very common. Blackamoor is a slang word that refers to dark skinned people, not so much today, but in the past. Most older Blackamoors were carved out of wood and covered in gesso and polychrome painted Some are made of bronze and other metals, while many are made of ceramic and porcelain. They were designed to be mostly pedestals to hold candelabra or flowers.
Some were tables and wall brackets. Smaller ones were often found as table decorations.