Desk Accessories
Mid-20th Century German Country Desk Accessories
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1970s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
Late 20th Century French Modern Desk Accessories
Crystal, Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Other Desk Accessories
Hardwood
1960s Vintage Desk Accessories
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass, Nickel
2010s American Minimalist Desk Accessories
Concrete
19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Beech
19th Century Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Gold Plate
1950s Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1920s English Edwardian Vintage Desk Accessories
Leather, Mahogany, Oak
20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
1920s French Belle Époque Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1910s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass
Early 20th Century Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver, Chrome
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Turkish Islamic Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Desk Accessories
Leather, Paper
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Crystal
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Alabaster, Marble, Metal
Late 20th Century American Desk Accessories
Leather
Early 20th Century British Desk Accessories
Glass, Art Glass
1970s Post-Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Steel
Early 20th Century Austrian Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Alabaster
2010s Greek Modern Desk Accessories
Marble
1970s American Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1980s North American Vintage Desk Accessories
Stone
2010s Argentine Organic Modern Desk Accessories
Stone, Onyx
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Blown Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
Late 20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Gold Plate
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
2010s Indian Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1970s Unknown Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Wood
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver, Bronze
19th Century American Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Sterling Silver
20th Century Chinese Desk Accessories
Stone
Mid-20th Century Unknown Rococo Revival Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Bronze
1960s French Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Renaissance Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Onyx, Ormolu
Early 1900s Austrian Rococo Antique Desk Accessories
Enamel
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Crystal
Early 20th Century British Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Granite, Marble
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze, Copper, Pewter
21st Century and Contemporary Scottish Desk Accessories
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1970s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
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.