Penny Paperweight
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Paperweights
Copper
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Paperweights
Copper
Vintage 1970s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Lucite
Late 20th Century Canadian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Lucite
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Obelisks
Marble
Late 20th Century American Modern Obelisks
Lucite
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1980s Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Tin, Copper, Brass
Vintage 1930s North American Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Copper
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Lucite
Late 20th Century Unknown International Style Desk Sets
Metal
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Acrylic, Lucite
Antique Late 19th Century Egyptian Islamic Metalwork
Brass, Copper
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Resin, Lucite
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Resin
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Animal Sculptures
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Mounted Objects
Horn, Lucite
Late 20th Century Canadian Organic Modern Paperweights
Plastic, Acrylic
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware
Lucite
Early 20th Century Austrian Belle Époque Animal Sculptures
Copper, Metal, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Paperweights
Lucite
Vintage 1920s Italian Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century American Paperweights
Lucite
Vintage 1980s North American Modern Paperweights
Copper
Vintage 1970s American Decorative Objects
Vintage 1970s American Modern Paperweights
Copper
20th Century American Modern Paperweights
Acrylic, Lucite
Late 20th Century American Modern Paperweights
Copper
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Copper
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Lucite
Late 20th Century Dutch Modern Signs
Aluminum
20th Century English More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass
20th Century Modern Paperweights
Copper
Vintage 1970s American Paperweights
Lucite
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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