Vintage Mexican Onyx Geometric Pen Holder and Paperweight
Located in Toronto, CA
function as a pen holder while maintaining the weight and presence of a solid paperweight. The polished
Onyx
Mexican Pens Holder
Located in Wien, AT
Mexican pens holder. Original condition.
Brass
Onyx Stone Pen or Pencil Holder, Mexico, 1980s
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Onyx Stone Pencil Holder, Mexico, 1980s.
Stone, Onyx
Don S Shoemaker Cocobolo Coin Pen Holder Desk Organizer Tray, 1960s
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your pleasure: classy Don S Shoemaker Cocobolo wood coin pen holder desk organizer tray fine
Cocobolo
Sold
H 3.25 in W 3.38 in D 3.38 in
Desk Accessory Vintage Miscellaneous Pen Holder Leather Wrapped Open Cube 1970s
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Desk accessory vintage miscellaneous pen holder distressed leather wrapped open box 1970s
Leather
Mexican Pens Holder, Vienna, Around 1950s
Located in Wien, AT
Mexican pens holder Vienna around 1950s. Originial condition.
Brass
Vintage Aztec Jaguar Warrior Pen holder c.1960
Located in San Diego, CA
Unusual Vintage Aztec Jaguar Warrior Figurine Pen Holder on Marble desk set. c.1960
Marble, Metal
Sold
H 7 in W 4.25 in D 2.5 in
Los Castillo Vintage Opalescent Shell Pen Holder Desk Accessory Stamped
By Los Castillo, Los Castillos
Located in Atlanta, GA
A gorgeous and oh so pearlescent pen holder desk accessory designed and made by Los Castillo in
Shell, Wood
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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