Large Chinese Calligraphy Brush Jade
20th Century Chinese Scholar's Objects
Jade
20th Century Chinese Desk Sets
Jade
2010s Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Jade
Late 20th Century Chinese Scholar's Objects
Serpentine
Recent Sales
20th Century Chinese Scholar's Objects
Jade, Other
2010s Chinese Scholar's Objects
Jade
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Scholar's Objects
Soapstone, Metal
2010s Chinese Scholar's Objects
Serpentine
2010s Chinese Scholar's Objects
Serpentine
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Paintings and Screens
Bamboo
2010s Chinese Scholar's Objects
Jade
2010s Chinese Scholar's Objects
Jade
2010s Chinese Scholar's Objects
Jade
2010s Chinese Scholar's Objects
Jade
2010s Chinese Scholar's Objects
Jade
20th Century Chinese Desk Sets
Jade
2010s Chinese Scholar's Objects
Serpentine
20th Century Chinese Scholar's Objects
Stone, Other
People Also Browsed
Mid-20th Century Japanese Showa Scholar's Objects
Stone
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Concrete
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Vases
Glass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Tobacco Accessories
Feathers
Antique Mid-18th Century Baroque Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Lacquer
Lacquer
2010s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Letter Openers
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Trunks and Luggage
Metal
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Textiles
Plexiglass, Wood, Silk
Vintage 1920s French Art Nouveau Glass
Glass
2010s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Letter Openers
Brass
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Textiles
Silk, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Spanish Colonial Console Tables
Iron
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Wood, Teak
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Antiquities
Wood
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Wall Clocks
Softwood
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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