Wooden Letter Opener
Vintage 1970s Folk Art Letter Openers
Wood
Early 20th Century English Letter Openers
Metal, Silver Plate, Pewter
Antique Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Desk Sets
Metal
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver, Bronze
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Early 20th Century English Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables
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Antique 1890s German Dinner Plates
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Mid-20th Century Ivorian Primitive Mounted Objects
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20th Century French Floor Lamps
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20th Century French Art Nouveau Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Modern Animal Sculptures
Lucite
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Stairs
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Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Cigar Boxes and Humidors
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Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Tea Sets
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Antique Mid-19th Century British Victorian Tea Sets
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Antique 19th Century French Belle Époque Fireplaces and Mantels
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Antique Early 1900s Italian Art Nouveau Wall Mirrors
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Antique Late 19th Century French Gothic Revival Dining Room Sets
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Recent Sales
Late 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Letter Openers
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Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Letter Openers
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Dutch Art Deco Desk Accessories
Antique 19th Century Inkwells
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Letter Openers
Bronze
2010s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Oak
20th Century Letter Openers
Stone
Late 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Letter Openers
Bone
Antique 19th Century German Black Forest Letter Openers
Horn, Animal Skin
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Letter Openers
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Letter Openers
Walnut
Antique 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Desk Accessories
Silver
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Vases
Sterling Silver, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Vases
Sterling Silver, Bronze
Vintage 1930s Desk Accessories
Wood, Ivory, Glass
Antique 1890s English Victorian More Desk Accessories
Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Desk Sets
Leather, Satin, Wood
Vintage 1940s Spanish Arms, Armor and Weapons
Brass
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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