Desk Accessories
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Pewter
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Suede, Wood
1870s Swedish Folk Art Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 20th Century Venezuelan Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Glass, Sommerso, Blown Glass, Art Glass
2010s Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Marble
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Metal
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
Early 20th Century Swiss Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Earthenware, Majolica
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Paper
Late 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
2010s Modern Desk Accessories
Marble
2010s Modern Desk Accessories
Marble
1930s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Belgian Black Marble
19th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Carrara Marble
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
1970s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
19th Century German Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Desk Accessories
Aluminum
1880s Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Softwood
Early 20th Century Czech Art Deco Desk Accessories
Enamel
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Spelter
1880s French Antique Desk Accessories
Tortoise Shell
1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
2010s French Desk Accessories
Hide, Leather
Mid-20th Century German Desk Accessories
Nickel
Early 1900s French Art Deco Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Spelter
1960s European Vintage Desk Accessories
Steel
2010s Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Resin
Mid-20th Century Desk Accessories
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Modern Desk Accessories
Marble
2010s Italian Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
2010s Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Resin
Late 18th Century European Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Enamel, Other
1960s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Leather, Faux Leather
1960s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Rubber
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s American Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s German Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1940s North American Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Cut Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1950s European Victorian Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
1880s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Desk Accessories
Alpaca, Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1880s Italian Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Industrial Desk Accessories
Steel
1910s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage 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.