Bookends
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Marble
20th Century Bookends
Marble
20th Century Korean Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
20th Century Korean Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century Renaissance Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Bookends
Bronze
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Leather
1920s British Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Bronze
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Bookends
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Bookends
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Quartz
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Bookends
Stone
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Bookends
Brass
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Enamel, Steel
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Metal
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Rock Crystal
Antique, New and Vintage Bookends
A good pair of antique, new or vintage bookends will look wonderful in your reading nook. And the need for these trusty home accents has stood the test of time, which means there are many different kinds to suit any design taste or furniture style.
Bookends weren’t created until the 1870s. Serving faithfully in the background, they went unobserved for a while. The authors of the Oxford English Dictionary report that the term “book end” didn’t appear in printed material until 1907. The primary function of bookends is to ensure that your books remain upright in your bookcase, but style and form have taken the lead over the years. Furniture makers have ensured that bookends demand as much attention as the books themselves. Indeed, while competing with carefully curated first editions or rows of colorful spines is no small task, plenty of bookends steal the stage.
If you’re looking to add a dose of intrigue or decorative flourish to your reading room that will be difficult to ignore, stone bookends and metal bookends can take on the appearance of small, provocative sculptures rather than functional accessories to keep your books orderly on your shelves. Depending on what kind of textures you’re thinking of introducing to your home office or study, a pair of brass bookends or a bronze set will pop against your dusty hardcovers and any decorative objects you’ve accumulated while working to style your bookcase. A pair of mid-century modern bookends carved from dark, exotic woods such as teak can also introduce warmth to a home office or study. While teak was a favorite of designers who worked with furniture in the mid-20th century, all manner of wood bookends have emerged over the years, with some woodworkers carving ornate patterns or figures into their pieces.
Bookworms, take note: You can find an extraordinary range of antique, new and vintage bookends for your dazzling book displays and bookshelves today on 1stDibs.