Desk Accessories
1880s Italian Antique Desk Accessories
Agate, Amethyst, Malachite, Onyx, Marble
Mid-19th Century French Louis XIV Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1860s English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desk Accessories
Malachite, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century German Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Velvet, Cut Glass, Wood
19th Century Dutch Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
1930s American Vintage Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
1930s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver
Early 19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century French Restauration Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Gold, Bronze
1870s Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century Indian Rustic Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Desk Accessories
Soapstone
19th Century Indian Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
1880s Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Glass, Resin
19th Century Spanish Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century Portuguese Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Leather, Paper
19th Century Danish Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Copper
1860s Antique Desk Accessories
Fruitwood
Mid-19th Century English High Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century French Folk Art Antique Desk Accessories
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century British Art Deco Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Desk Accessories
Sheet Metal, Metal, Iron
19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Gothic Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal, Chrome
1870s Italian Belle Époque Antique Desk Accessories
Blown Glass, Art Glass
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Mother-of-Pearl, Paper
19th Century Italian Other Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Charles X Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Desk Accessories
Stone, Brass
1930s American Vintage Desk Accessories
Plastic
19th Century French Islamic Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze, Enamel
1930s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1930s Swiss Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Precious Stone
Late 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Mid-19th Century North American American Craftsman Antique Desk Accessories
Glass
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Mid-19th Century Norwegian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Porphyry
1870s European Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Onyx, Bronze
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Onyx, Brass
1930s German Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble
Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Porcelain, Wood
19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Desk Accessories
Marble
19th Century French Classical Greek Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Austrian Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Granite, Steel
Late 19th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
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.