$367
H 0.79 in W 9.06 in D 2.37 in
Antique Art Nouveau Gilt Gold Brass Desk Tray Pen Keys Holder Vide Poche
Located in Greven, DE
Antique Art Nouveau Gilt Gold Brass Desk Tray Pen Keys Holder Vide Poche Continental Brass c
Brass
19th Century Black Forest Cigar Holder of a Bear Holding a Barrel
Located in San Francisco, CA
cigars but could be used on a desk as a pen or trinket holder
Walnut
$760Sale Price|20% Off
H 3.38 in W 6.88 in D 4.785 in
French Art Deco Cigarette Box or Makeup Pencil Holder by Marius Agogue Loiret
Located in Miami, FL
pen or pencil holder. It would also make a wonderful makeup pencil or brush holder on a vanity
Birch, Mahogany
$557
H 5.91 in W 3.94 in D 4.34 in
Bitossi Rimini Blu Ceramic Decorative Desk Organizer by Aldo Londi, Italy 1960s
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Roma, IT
a desk organizer, pen holder, brush holder, or as a purely decorative ceramic object. The perfect
Ceramic
$1,008 / set
H 1.19 in W 5.91 in D 5.91 in
Enzo Mari for F.lli Mannelli Travertine Ashtrays and Penholders, Italy 1970s
By Enzo Mari, Fratelli Mannelli
Located in Naples, IT
Totally hand-carved travertine desk accessories consisting of a pen-holder and an ashtray designed
Travertine
$850Sale Price|43% Off
H 5 in W 6.13 in D 4.88 in
French Art Deco Cigarette Box, Walnut Wood and Leather
Located in Miami, FL
as a pen or pencil holder. Wonderful design. Measures: 6 1/8" long x 4 7/8" deep x 5" high
Leather, Walnut
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.
The French sculptor shaped dense blocks into tactile forms meant to be used and held.
After synthetic dyes changed fashion, home goods and printed matter, it was only a matter of time till glass caught up.
The brilliantly simple design turns a modest bouquet into a major statement.
The Greek tragedian is said to have been handsome in his day.
Even for those who don’t indulge, elegant smoking accessories and audacious art portraying cigar enthusiasts hold a nostalgic allure.
It’s an excellent example of the sought-after ceramics coming out of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
The free-form stoneware piece is inspired by the magnolia tree and its associations with home.