Eagle Letter Opener
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Letter Openers
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Letter Openers
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Letter Openers
Bronze, Copper, Metal
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Vintage 1970s Mexican Artisan More Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
Antique Early 1900s French Art Deco Letter Openers
Brass
Vintage 1960s French Letter Openers
Silver Plate
Vintage 1940s American Desk Accessories
Brass
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Early 20th Century German Folk Art Busts
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Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Musical Instruments
Wood, Giltwood
Antique Mid-19th Century English High Victorian Taxidermy
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1940s Figurative Paintings
Gouache, Oil
Vintage 1930s American Arts and Crafts Decorative Boxes
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Antique 17th Century Japanese Edo Lacquer
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Antique 1860s French Renaissance Bookcases
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Mother-of-Pearl, Teak
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Glass, Walnut
Antique Early 1900s French Belle Époque Table Clocks and Desk Clocks
Gold, Platinum, Silver, Enamel
Finding the Right Desk-accessories for You
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.
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