Desk Accessories
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze, Enamel
1880s English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Desk Accessories
Silver
1840s Spanish Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
19th Century French Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Swedish Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver, Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century British Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
20th Century Burmese Desk Accessories
Bronze
1970s Canadian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Granite, Bronze
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Desk Accessories
Bronze
1990s Italian Other Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver, Brass
1850s British Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Spanish Desk Accessories
Bronze
20th Century French Art Nouveau Desk Accessories
Crystal, Bronze
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Quartz, Bronze
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Copper, Brass, Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Bronze
2010s Argentine Modern Desk Accessories
Stone, Onyx
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Desk Accessories
Silver
1870s European Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1850s French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1890s French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1930s Swiss Vintage Desk Accessories
Gold Plate
2010s Moroccan Desk Accessories
Bronze
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1960s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver, Metal
Early 20th Century Austrian Belle Époque Desk Accessories
Bronze
1920s English Other Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Silver Plate, Brass
1970s British Vintage Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver, Silver
20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Granite, Carrara Marble, Silver Plate
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Desk Accessories
Bronze
1870s American Antique Desk Accessories
Silver, Sterling Silver
1920s French Arts and Crafts Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1910s British Vintage Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
1890s Scottish Antique Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
1810s English Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Gold
1890s English Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 1900s English Egyptian Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
1820s English Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
1880s English Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1930s Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver Plate, Brass
1910s American Edwardian Vintage Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century European Grand Tour Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century Portuguese Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
20th Century British Desk Accessories
Silver
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.