Desk Accessories
1980s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century American Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1980s German Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble, Brass
19th Century English High Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Wood
1980s Italian Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Plexiglass
1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Early 1900s German Arts and Crafts Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
2010s Unknown Desk Accessories
Malachite
Early 20th Century European Desk Accessories
Marble
1980s Turkish Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass, Stainless Steel
2010s Indian Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Wood
1870s Austrian Egyptian Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Silver, Sterling Silver
1720s Chinese Qing Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic
1970s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
20th Century Russian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Malachite
2010s Indian Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Wood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Early 20th Century Danish Art Deco Desk Accessories
Alabaster, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Bronze
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1980s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
2010s Chinese Desk Accessories
Stone
2010s Australian Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
2010s German Country Desk Accessories
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Peruvian Organic Modern Desk Accessories
Pyrite
Early 19th Century Early Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Ormolu
1980s Japanese Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Porcelain
1910s German Art Nouveau Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass, Copper
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Silver, Steel
1980s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
1980s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Ceramic
2010s American Desk Accessories
Stone
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass, Metal
1980s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century Hong Kong Adirondack Desk Accessories
Bamboo
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Tin
1930s Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1970s American Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
1980s German Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Scottish Desk Accessories
Crystal
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Iron
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble
2010s German Country Desk Accessories
Porcelain
20th Century Greek Classical Greek Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver, Bronze
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
1890s German Belle Époque Antique Desk Accessories
Ormolu
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.