Desk Accessories
1990s Italian Other Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Concrete
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Concrete
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass, Nickel
1880s English Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Silver
1810s European George III Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
1990s Italian Other Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
Late 20th Century Japanese Scandinavian Modern Desk Accessories
Zinc
1930s Scottish Vintage Desk Accessories
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Plastic
Mid-20th Century Swedish Art Deco Desk Accessories
Silver
2010s American Brutalist Desk Accessories
Concrete
2010s Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Marble
2010s Italian Desk Accessories
Marble
2010s American Desk Accessories
2010s American Minimalist Desk Accessories
Concrete
20th Century French Modern Desk Accessories
Crystal
Mid-20th Century British Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
Early 1900s English Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Agate
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Horn
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Chrome
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century Art Deco Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver, Enamel
1970s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Lucite
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Desk Accessories
Metal
1980s Dutch Other Vintage Desk Accessories
Nickel
1620s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Mid-17th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1630s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Nickel
2010s Italian Desk Accessories
Marble
1890s German Belle Époque Antique Desk Accessories
Ormolu
Mid-18th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Mid-18th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Mid-18th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1690s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Mid-18th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
20th Century American Modern Desk Accessories
Glass
2010s Italian Desk Accessories
Marble
2010s American Minimalist Desk Accessories
Concrete
2010s American Minimalist Desk Accessories
Concrete
2010s American Desk Accessories
Glass
1620s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Late 19th Century Russian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble
19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Greco Roman Desk Accessories
Stainless Steel
Mid-17th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
19th Century English George IV Antique Desk Accessories
Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Greco Roman Desk Accessories
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
2010s Greek Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Marble, Brass, Chrome
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.