An assortment of leather desk blotters is available at 1stDibs. The range of distinct leather desk blotters — often made from
animal skin,
leather and
metal — can elevate any home. We have 128 antique and vintage leather desk blotters in-stock, while there are 5 modern editions to choose from as well. Leather desk blotters have been produced for many years, with earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century.
Arts and Crafts,
Art Deco and
mid-century modern leather desk blotters are consistently popular styles. Not every interior allows for large leather desk blotters, so small leather desk blotters measuring 1 inches across are available at 1stDibs. Leather desk blotters have been a part of the life’s work for many furniture makers, but those produced by
Tiffany Studios,
Gucci and
Hermès are consistently popular.
Leather desk blotters can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price at 1stDibs is $1,295, while the lowest priced sells for $193 and the highest can go for as much as $12,500.
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.