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Desk Accessories For Sale
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Polished Brass Hook
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Polished Brass Hook

Carl Auböck Model #4327 Polished Brass Hook

By Werkstätte Carl Auböck

Located in Glendale, CA

Carl Auböck Model #4327 Polished Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and minimalist Viennese hook is executed in polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria. Pro...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass, Nickel

Vintage Blue Ceramic Ashtray Handcrafted in Italy by Aldo Londi 1950
Vintage Blue Ceramic Ashtray Handcrafted in Italy by Aldo Londi 1950

Vintage Blue Ceramic Ashtray Handcrafted in Italy by Aldo Londi 1950

By Aldo Londi, Bitossi

Located in Moreno Valley, CA

Vintage Blue Ceramic Ashtray Handcrafted in Italy by Aldo Londi 1950 Round "Rimini Blu" enameled terra cotta cigar ashtray by Aldo Londi for Bitossi. Handcrafted in Italy with hand c...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Stoneware

Cartier Trinity Ribbed Silver Plated Ballpoint Pen, 1980s
Cartier Trinity Ribbed Silver Plated Ballpoint Pen, 1980s

Cartier Trinity Ribbed Silver Plated Ballpoint Pen, 1980s

By Montblanc, Cartier

Located in Reading, Berkshire

Cartier Trinity Ribbed Silver Plated Ballpoint Pen With Red Cartier Box. Stunning Example of a Must De Cartier ballpoint pen, featuring the classic trinity rings and an enamel ident...

Category

Late 20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories

Materials

Silver Plate

Antique Cased Draughtsman's Set, English, Drawing Tools, WH Harling, Edwardian
Antique Cased Draughtsman's Set, English, Drawing Tools, WH Harling, Edwardian

Antique Cased Draughtsman's Set, English, Drawing Tools, WH Harling, Edwardian

Located in Hele, Devon, GB

This is an antique cased draughtsman's set. An English, technical drawing case of silver nickel and brass tools by W.H. Harling, dating to the Edwardian period, circa 1910. Nicely p...

Category

Early 20th Century British Edwardian Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass, Nickel

Beautiful Highly Decorative Letter Scale Antique, German, 1900s
Beautiful Highly Decorative Letter Scale Antique, German, 1900s

Beautiful Highly Decorative Letter Scale Antique, German, 1900s

Located in Nuernberg, DE

Beautiful highly decorative letter scale. All written in German. With porcelain Enamel Face. Nice item for your writing desk or just as a display item at your cupboard.

Category

Early 1900s German Victorian Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

1953 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Hairpins - New Old Stock - Set Of Four
1953 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Hairpins - New Old Stock - Set Of Four

1953 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Hairpins - New Old Stock - Set Of Four

Located in Hook, Hampshire

1953 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Hairpins - New Old Stock - Set Of Four. We recently came across a large hoard of new old stock hardware and general merchandise items, laying unt...

Category

1950s English Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Steel

Carl Auböck Model #4329 Patinated Brass Hook
Carl Auböck Model #4329 Patinated Brass Hook

Carl Auböck Model #4329 Patinated Brass Hook

By Werkstätte Carl Auböck

Located in Glendale, CA

Carl Auböck Model #4329 Patinated Brass Hook. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and minimalist midcentury wall hook is executed in choice of patinated brass, polished brass, or ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

Rare Polished Pig / Hog Mechanical Bell, C.1890
Rare Polished Pig / Hog Mechanical Bell, C.1890

Rare Polished Pig / Hog Mechanical Bell, C.1890

Located in Bath, GB

A rare find, this fabulous figural desk bell was cast in metal in the form of a pig with a quality screwed construction. The mechanical bell can be wou...

Category

1890s German Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Oliver No. 5 Batwing Typewriter, UK, Early 20th Century
Oliver No. 5 Batwing Typewriter, UK, Early 20th Century

Oliver No. 5 Batwing Typewriter, UK, Early 20th Century

Located in New York, NY

While best known for his architectural practice—which played integral roles in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, re-imagining of the Ritz in Paris, and designing the interior...

Category

Early 20th Century British Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Vintage Lalique Frosted Glass Tang Horse Figurine or Paperweight
Vintage Lalique Frosted Glass Tang Horse Figurine or Paperweight

Vintage Lalique Frosted Glass Tang Horse Figurine or Paperweight

By Lalique

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A fine french glass figurine or paperweight. By Lalique. Designed by Marie-Claude Lalique in the 1980s. In the form of a Tang Dynasty horse with cropped tail and mane. The horse in frosted glass and the rectangular base and negative space (between legs) in clear glass. With an original Lalique Paris sticker and etched "Lalique Ⓡ France" signature. Simply a wonderful Lalique horse...

Category

Late 20th Century French Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Glass

Glass Paperweight by Goran Warff for Kosta Boda, Rare Find
Glass Paperweight by Goran Warff for Kosta Boda, Rare Find

Glass Paperweight by Goran Warff for Kosta Boda, Rare Find

By Kosta Boda, Göran Wärff

Located in Bochum, NRW

Beautiful and heavy paperweight designed by Goran Warff and made by KostaBoda in the 1960s. Hand made of glass, this paperweight is sophisticate, featuring green and blue waves of gl...

Category

1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Art Glass

Vintage Austrian Art Nouveau Style Nude Girl Bronze or Brass Letter Opener 1950s
Vintage Austrian Art Nouveau Style Nude Girl Bronze or Brass Letter Opener 1950s

Vintage Austrian Art Nouveau Style Nude Girl Bronze or Brass Letter Opener 1950s

Located in Nuernberg, DE

Vintage Solid Brass Nude Lady Letter Opener, Austria, Mid-20th Century A striking vintage letter opener cast in solid brass and modeled as a reclining nude female figure. This decor...

Category

Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

Meissen Green Ming Dragon Porcelain Writing Set
Meissen Green Ming Dragon Porcelain Writing Set

Meissen Green Ming Dragon Porcelain Writing Set

By Meissen Porcelain

Located in Long Island City, NY

A mid-20th century hand-painted porcelain desk accessories set by Meissen Porzellan, a prominent German porcelain manufacture. Ming Dragon pattern in...

Category

Mid-20th Century German Desk Accessories

Materials

Porcelain

Brass Ribbon Hook by Henry Wilson
Brass Ribbon Hook by Henry Wilson

Brass Ribbon Hook by Henry Wilson

By Henry Wilson

Located in Geneve, CH

Brass Ribbon Hook by Henry Wilson Dimensions: W 2 x D 8 x H 12 cm Materials: Brass The Ribbon Hook is sand cast in solid brass. Ribbon hook has two protruding blocks to allow you to...

Category

2010s Australian Post-Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

Vintage Brass and Wrought Iron Skeleton Key
Vintage Brass and Wrought Iron Skeleton Key

Vintage Brass and Wrought Iron Skeleton Key

Located in San Francisco, CA

ABOUT A vintage brass and wrought iron skeleton key. Embossed "PENN" on the side. Shown with lifesize hand model for scale. CREATOR Unknown. DATE OF MANUFACTURE Unknown....

Category

19th Century Industrial Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass, Wrought Iron

Antique LC Smith & Corona Super Speed Typewriter c.1942
Antique LC Smith & Corona Super Speed Typewriter c.1942

Antique LC Smith & Corona Super Speed Typewriter c.1942

By L.C. Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc

Located in San Francisco, CA

ABOUT An original LC Smith & Corona Typewriter with a 14 inch carriage. The serial number is 1A1758024-12 stamped in the inside. The keys are nickel with black face and white number...

Category

Early 20th Century Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal, Steel

Aircraft Engine Gold Speaker
Aircraft Engine Gold Speaker

Aircraft Engine Gold Speaker

Located in Paris, FR

Speaker Aircraft Engine Gold is inspired by radial aircraft engines from early 20th-century radial aircraft engines. Structure in aluminum alloy wi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Desk Accessories

Materials

Aluminum, Gold Plate, Chrome

1930s Curt Schlevogt, Ingrid Collection Bohemian Malachite Glass Dresser Set
1930s Curt Schlevogt, Ingrid Collection Bohemian Malachite Glass Dresser Set

1930s Curt Schlevogt, Ingrid Collection Bohemian Malachite Glass Dresser Set

By Curt Schlevogt

Located in Delft, NL

1930s Curt Schlevogt, Ingrid collection Bohemian Malachite glass dresser set Czechoslovakian moulded in deep relief Bohemian malachite glass dresser set by Curt Schlevogt from the...

Category

1930s Czech Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Hand-Carved Jade Stone Statue
Vintage Hand-Carved Jade Stone Statue

Vintage Hand-Carved Jade Stone Statue

Located in Dallas, TX

Vintage hand-carved jade stone statue was cleverly sculpted to depict fully laden grapevines, combined with a naturally colored rouge segment below creating the illusion of a gnarly grapevine root...

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Anglo-Japanese Desk Accessories

Materials

Stone

Capercaillie Mountain Grouse Vienna Bronze Letter Opener, Antique Austria 1900s
Capercaillie Mountain Grouse Vienna Bronze Letter Opener, Antique Austria 1900s

Capercaillie Mountain Grouse Vienna Bronze Letter Opener, Antique Austria 1900s

Located in Nuernberg, DE

A classic early 20th-century Austrian bronze figural letter opener, beautifully cast and finished with a rich, original patina. This highly collectible antique piece exemplifies the ...

Category

1920s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Blue & white ceramic inkwell with circular brass stand
Blue & white ceramic inkwell with circular brass stand

Blue & white ceramic inkwell with circular brass stand

Located in London, GB

A late 19th century blue and white ceramic inkwell with circular pierced brass stand and brass lid. They ceramic inkwell depicts a riverside scene of birds and rushes.

Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

1960s Original French Glass Pepsi Bottles, Large Quantity Available
1960s Original French Glass Pepsi Bottles, Large Quantity Available

1960s Original French Glass Pepsi Bottles, Large Quantity Available

Located in Hook, Hampshire

1960s original French glass Pepsi bottles, large quantity available. We recently came across a large quantity of these original French Pepsi bottles and h...

Category

1960s French Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Art Glass

Leather Tray AUREN by ARIA HOME - Scandinese style - Medium - Color: Sadletan
Leather Tray AUREN by ARIA HOME - Scandinese style - Medium - Color: Sadletan

Leather Tray AUREN by ARIA HOME - Scandinese style - Medium - Color: Sadletan

By Aria Home

Located in Curitiba, Parana

High-end design, without excess. The AUREN Collection elevates the Aria experience with trays that combine genuine leather and premium-quality brass handles. Featuring hardware ins...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

Antique Desk Organizer in Anthroposophical Organic Style, 1930s
Antique Desk Organizer in Anthroposophical Organic Style, 1930s

Antique Desk Organizer in Anthroposophical Organic Style, 1930s

By Rudolf Steiner

Located in Hannover, DE

This lovely hand-carved writing tray is from the 1930s, and it was crafted by hand in the traditional Waldorf style. It's a rare treat! The surface for the pen tray has been lovingly...

Category

1930s Swiss Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Glass, Wood, Bentwood

French Bronze and Gilded Bronze Inkwell and Candlestand 19th Century
French Bronze and Gilded Bronze Inkwell and Candlestand 19th Century

French Bronze and Gilded Bronze Inkwell and Candlestand 19th Century

Located in Cheltenham, GB

A large and impressive early 19c French bronze and gilt bronze inkwell, the central chased handle with a pair of candle arms terminating in lion masks, 2 tray wells either side of a ...

Category

19th Century Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

Antique Art Nouveau French Bronze Gilt Thistle Letter Opener Albert Marionnete
Antique Art Nouveau French Bronze Gilt Thistle Letter Opener Albert Marionnete

Antique Art Nouveau French Bronze Gilt Thistle Letter Opener Albert Marionnete

By Albert Marionnet

Located in Greven, DE

Antique Art Nouveau French Bronze Gilt Thistle Letter Opener Albert Marionnet France Bronze c. 1900 Dimensions: Length 31.5cm Of notably large size, this letter opener is a...

Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Zanetti Italian Murano Twisted Rope Paper Weight or Sculpture
Zanetti Italian Murano Twisted Rope Paper Weight or Sculpture

Zanetti Italian Murano Twisted Rope Paper Weight or Sculpture

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A complex and beautifully made rope class twisted into a 5" round sphere of glass - perfect for a paperweight on you desk or workstation. Also, a stand alone sculpture or bookend. ...

Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Murano Glass

Set of 2 Obelisks 1930-1940
Set of 2 Obelisks 1930-1940

Set of 2 Obelisks 1930-1940

Located in MILL, NL

Set of 2 Tortoise and Ebony obelisks. From France, 1920-1940. In very good condition. Dimensions: 44H x 10.5W x 10.5D cm

Category

1930s Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Tortoise Shell, Ebony

Anthroposophical Rudolf Steiner Hand-Carved Wood Vide Poche Catch All ca. 1930s
Anthroposophical Rudolf Steiner Hand-Carved Wood Vide Poche Catch All ca. 1930s

Anthroposophical Rudolf Steiner Hand-Carved Wood Vide Poche Catch All ca. 1930s

By Rudolf Steiner

Located in Bad Säckingen, DE

This unique hand-carved wooden vide poche or catch-all tray is crafted in the anthroposophical style associated with Rudolf Steiner. Dating to the 1930s-1950s, it features a deeply textured chip-carved interior with an organic, flowing pattern, contrasted by smooth, rounded edges. Made of light-toned wood, likely linden wood, the tray exhibits a warm patina and fine craftsmanship typical of Waldorf or anthroposophical design principles. A rare and functional piece, it serves as an elegant entryway organizer...

Category

1930s Swiss Arts and Crafts Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Wood

Antique Victorian Ashford Pietra Dura Marble Obelisk 19th Century
Antique Victorian Ashford Pietra Dura Marble Obelisk 19th Century

Antique Victorian Ashford Pietra Dura Marble Obelisk 19th Century

Located in London, GB

This is a wonderful Derbyshire Ashford pietra dura obelisk, inlaid with lillies, circa 1880 in date. The obelisk is beautifully inlaid with a Pietra Dura of white flowers and malach...

Category

Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Malachite, Marble

1960's New Old Stock Vintage Bracelet Set Of Five - Size Small
1960's New Old Stock Vintage Bracelet Set Of Five - Size Small

1960's New Old Stock Vintage Bracelet Set Of Five - Size Small

Located in Hook, Hampshire

1960's New Old Stock Vintage Bracelet Set Of Five - Size Small. We recently came across a large hoard of new old stock hardware and general merchandise items, laying untouched sinc...

Category

1960s Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Plastic

English Spode Bone China Pyramid, Gilded Imari Paperweight
English Spode Bone China Pyramid, Gilded Imari Paperweight

English Spode Bone China Pyramid, Gilded Imari Paperweight

By Spode

Located in Rothley, Leicestershire

A collector's quality bone china paperweight from Spode, England Exquisite gilding and floral enamel decoration topped with gilded ball accent Circa 2000 Signed Spode, England F1860-...

Category

Early 2000s English High Victorian Desk Accessories

Materials

Porcelain

Silver Zodiac Armillary Sundial
Silver Zodiac Armillary Sundial

Silver Zodiac Armillary Sundial

$220Sale Price|20% Off

Silver Zodiac Armillary Sundial

Located in Elkhart, IN

A stunning vintage silver metal armillary sundial featuring Roman numerals and the zodiac signs. USA, Late 20th century. Measures: 8.5"W x 5"D x 10"H Excellent vintage condition.

Category

Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

French Empire period Inkwell, identical to the one of Elisa Bonaparte
French Empire period Inkwell, identical to the one of Elisa Bonaparte

French Empire period Inkwell, identical to the one of Elisa Bonaparte

Located in Paris, FR

Empire period gilt bronze and bird's eye maple veneer inkwell. This model is an exact replica of the inkwell that belonged to Elisa Bonaparte, Princess of Lucca and Piombino, sister...

Category

1810s French Empire Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

Midcentury Nut Cracker Bowl, Hammer & Anvil by Richard Rohac, Austria, 1950s
Midcentury Nut Cracker Bowl, Hammer & Anvil by Richard Rohac, Austria, 1950s

Midcentury Nut Cracker Bowl, Hammer & Anvil by Richard Rohac, Austria, 1950s

By Richard Rohac

Located in Vienna, AT

A charming and decorative nutcracker set, featuring a cherry wood bowl, a brass hammer and a brass anvil. Designed and crafted in the 1950s by Richard Rohac in Vienna, Austria, the s...

Category

Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

Large Vintage Murano Glass Paperweight, Millefiori Heart
Large Vintage Murano Glass Paperweight, Millefiori Heart

Large Vintage Murano Glass Paperweight, Millefiori Heart

By Fratelli Toso

Located in Clifton Springs, NY

Large, unusual Murano glass paperweight features colorful millefiori structure, radiating in circular manner into an abstract geometric pattern; the colored glass is encased in subst...

Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso, Murrine

Small Sculptural Jack / Jax Bookend / Paperweight in the Style of Bill Curry
Small Sculptural Jack / Jax Bookend / Paperweight in the Style of Bill Curry

Small Sculptural Jack / Jax Bookend / Paperweight in the Style of Bill Curry

By Bill Curry, Design Line

Located in San Diego, CA

A nice small sculptural jack / jax bookend, door stop or paperweight the style of Bill Curry for Design Line, circa 1970s. The piece is in good vintage condition with a nice patina a...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Iron

Vintage Murano Decorative Blown Glass Wrapped Blue Hard Candy Paper
Vintage Murano Decorative Blown Glass Wrapped Blue Hard Candy Paper

Vintage Murano Decorative Blown Glass Wrapped Blue Hard Candy Paper

Located in Moreno Valley, CA

Vintage large Murano decorative blown glass wrapped blue hard candy paperweight. Vintage oversized Murano blue blown glass candy sculpture of candy wr...

Category

20th Century Italian Post-Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass

Postmodern Eternity Calendar by Mette Kiellerup for Royal Copenhagen, 1980s
Postmodern Eternity Calendar by Mette Kiellerup for Royal Copenhagen, 1980s

Postmodern Eternity Calendar by Mette Kiellerup for Royal Copenhagen, 1980s

By Royal Copenhagen

Located in Hamburg, DE

Postmodern Perpetual Eternity Calendar by Mette Kiellerup for Royal Copenhagen, Denmark, 1980s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989. This piece has an attribution mark. A...

Category

20th Century Danish Post-Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Antique Chinese Scholar's Fruit Inkstone, Late 19th Century
Antique Chinese Scholar's Fruit Inkstone, Late 19th Century

Antique Chinese Scholar's Fruit Inkstone, Late 19th Century

Located in Chicago, IL

A fixture of the Chinese scholars' studio, the inkstone was among the "Four Treasures of the Study" and was used in calligraphy and landscape painting along with paper, ink and brush...

Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Stone

Carl Auböck Model #5261 Patinated Brass Hook
Carl Auböck Model #5261 Patinated Brass Hook

Carl Auböck Model #5261 Patinated Brass Hook

By Werkstätte Carl Auböck

Located in Glendale, CA

Carl Auböck Model #5261 Patinated Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in patinated and polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

Vintage Swedish Beige Bakelite Table Phone
Vintage Swedish Beige Bakelite Table Phone

Vintage Swedish Beige Bakelite Table Phone

Located in Vienna, AT

Bakelite table phone by LM Eriksson from the early 1960s. Repaired on the side see the last 2 pictures  

Category

1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Steel

Herend Porcelain Decorative Object, Roses, Hand-Painted
Herend Porcelain Decorative Object, Roses, Hand-Painted

Herend Porcelain Decorative Object, Roses, Hand-Painted

By Herend

Located in New York, NY

A beautiful Herend porcelain salmon orange roses with green leaves and vine/stem decorative object, 2001, Hungary. Marker's mark on underside as shown in last image. Dimensions: 6" x...

Category

20th Century Hungarian Desk Accessories

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Carved Bone Calligraphy Brush
Chinese Carved Bone Calligraphy Brush

Chinese Carved Bone Calligraphy Brush

Located in Chicago, IL

Along with paper, ink and inkstone, the brush is one of the Four Treasures of the scholar’s studio. Arguably the most important tool, the brush served as a direct link to the artist’...

Category

20th Century Chinese Desk Accessories

Materials

Bone

Fine Antique French Neoclassical Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze Picture Frame
Fine Antique French Neoclassical Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze Picture Frame

Fine Antique French Neoclassical Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze Picture Frame

Located in Miami, FL

A fine ornate antique French Louis XV style gilt bronze photo frame with back easel stand, Napoleon III era, circa 1880. Richly decorated with neoclassical style motifs such as faces...

Category

19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

Antique Paris Le Sacre Coeur Souvenir Double Inkwell Stand Architecture Building
Antique Paris Le Sacre Coeur Souvenir Double Inkwell Stand Architecture Building

Antique Paris Le Sacre Coeur Souvenir Double Inkwell Stand Architecture Building

Located in Nuernberg, DE

Classic early 1900s - 1910s double inkwell, with a souvenir building of The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris. Nice addition to your writing desk or just to display them in your ...

Category

Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Big Silvered Bronze Vienna Dog Sculpture, Paperweight, 1900s
Big Silvered Bronze Vienna Dog Sculpture, Paperweight, 1900s

Big Silvered Bronze Vienna Dog Sculpture, Paperweight, 1900s

Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos

Big silvered bronze Vienna dog sculpture, 1900s. Very good detailed silvered bronze dog sculpture. Perfect as desk paperweight. We have specialized in the ...

Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

White Vase Faces Sculpture
White Vase Faces Sculpture

White Vase Faces Sculpture

By Jonathan Adler

Located in New York, NY

A relatively large white ceramic face or 'faces' vase. This sculpture vase can make a great statement piece in a living room, library, powder room, ...

Category

Early 2000s Desk Accessories

Materials

Ceramic

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.