Desk Accessories
2010s Austrian Desk Accessories
Brass
2010s Desk Accessories
Brass
20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Nouveau Desk Accessories
Belgian Black Marble, Silver
2010s American Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Concrete
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Stone, Silver
1970s American Vintage Desk Accessories
Plaster, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Romantic Desk Accessories
Agate, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Plexiglass
Late 19th Century British Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Stainless Steel
20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
2010s American Other Desk Accessories
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Bakelite
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Horn
1660s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
20th Century Scottish Desk Accessories
Glass
1630s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1620s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1620s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1950s Italian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass, Tin
1630s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Tin
1620s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
2010s German Country Desk Accessories
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Spanish Other Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-20th Century European Grand Tour Desk Accessories
Alabaster
2010s German Country Desk Accessories
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Greco Roman Desk Accessories
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Onyx
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Glass
2010s Argentine Modern Desk Accessories
Onyx, Stone, Metal
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Desk Accessories
Silver
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Marble
Late 20th Century French Modern Desk Accessories
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Glass
Late 19th Century English Chinoiserie Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Desk Accessories
Clay
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
20th Century Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Stone, Onyx
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
2010s Austrian Desk Accessories
Brass
Antique, New and Vintage Desk Accessories
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.