Desk Accessories
20th Century French Modern Desk Accessories
Crystal
1870s Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
20th Century French Desk Accessories
Glass
Late 19th Century French Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-18th Century Mexican Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze, Brass
1930s Swiss Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Mid-20th Century British Industrial Desk Accessories
Metal
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
15th Century and Earlier Mexican Mid-Century Modern Antique Desk Accessories
Petrified Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Ceramic
2010s Australian Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Desk Accessories
Leather
Early 20th Century Art Deco Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Desk Accessories
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Desk Accessories
Leather
20th Century Desk Accessories
Silver
20th Century British Desk Accessories
Leather
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Modern Desk Accessories
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Desk Accessories
Leather
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Wood, Paper
19th Century Italian Other Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
Early 1900s English Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso, Glass
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Leather
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Enamel
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Desk Accessories
Silver
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century European Desk Accessories
Metal
1840s French Louis Philippe Antique Desk Accessories
Cherry
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Wood
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Mid-19th Century Irish Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Rosewood
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Tin
Late 20th Century Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Desk Accessories
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Naugahyde, Walnut
1980s Italian Colonial Revival Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Crystal, Bronze
Early 1900s Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Onyx, Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Malachite, Ormolu
Late 20th Century American Desk Accessories
Art Glass
1910s French Empire Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Sterling Silver
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal, Chrome
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Glass, Wood
Antique, New and Vintage Desk Accessories
Whether you’ve carved out a space for a nifty home office or you prefer the morning commute, why not dress up your desk with antique and vintage desk accessories? To best tiptoe the line between desk efficiency and desk enjoyment, we suggest adding a touch of the past to your modern-day space.
Desks are a funny thing. Their basic premise has remained the same for quite literally centuries: a flat surface, oftentimes a drawer, and potentially a shelf or two. However, the contents that lay upon the desk? Well, the evolution has been drastic to say the least.
Thank the Victorians for the initial popularity of the paperweight. The Industrial Revolution offered the novel concept of leisure-time to Europeans, giving them more time to take part in the then crucial activity of letter writing. Decorative glass paperweight designs were all the rage, and during the mid-19th-century some of the most popular makers included the French companies of Baccarat, St. Louis and Clichy.
As paper was exceedingly expensive in the early to mid-19th-century, every effort was made to utilize a full sheet of it. Paper knives, which gave way to the modern letter opener, were helpful for cutting paper down to an appropriate size.
Books — those bound volumes of paper, you may recall — used to be common occurrences on desks of yore and where there were books there needed to be bookends. As a luxury item, bookend designs have run the gamut from incorporating ultra-luxurious materials (think marble and Murano glass) to being whimsical desk accompaniments (animal figurines were highly popular choices).
Though the inkwell’s extinction was ushered in by the advent of the ballpoint pen (itself quasi-obsolete at this point), there is still significant charm to be had from placing one of these bauble-like objets in a central spot on one’s desk. You may be surprised to discover the mood-boosting powers an antique — and purposefully empty — inkwell can provide.
The clamor for desk clocks arose as the Industrial Revolution transitioned labor from outdoors to indoors, and allowed for the mass-production of clock parts in factories. Naturally, elaborate designs soon followed and clocks could be found made by artisans and luxury houses like Cartier.
Find antique and vintage desk accessories today on 1stDibs.