Desk Accessories
20th Century Unknown Organic Modern Desk Accessories
Onyx, Quartz, Agate
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Desk Accessories
Metal, Gold Plate, Platinum
1970s American Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
2010s Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Desk Accessories
Chrome
Late 20th Century American Hollywood Regency Desk Accessories
Crystal
1960s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Alabaster, Marble
Early 2000s Italian Space Age Desk Accessories
Foam
Late 20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Gold
20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
Late 20th Century German Desk Accessories
Gold Plate
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Desk Accessories
Leather, Wood, Lacquer
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Resin, Lucite
2010s Unknown Desk Accessories
Malachite
1950s Sri Lankan British Colonial Vintage Desk Accessories
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso, Murrine
Early 20th Century English Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-20th Century Scottish Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Glass
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Stone, Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Metal
2010s Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Resin
Late 20th Century American Modern Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Pewter
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1970s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Leather
Early 20th Century Italian Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Desk Accessories
Brass
2010s Chinese Desk Accessories
Bone
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Leather
2010s Italian Desk Accessories
Malachite
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Desk Accessories
Uranium Glass
1920s French Art Nouveau Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Desk Accessories
Marble
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Desk Accessories
Stone, Agate
Early 20th Century Portuguese Baroque Desk Accessories
Brass, Bronze
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
20th Century Chinese Desk Accessories
Porcelain
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Wood
20th Century Chinese Desk Accessories
Marble
Late 20th Century French Anglo Raj Desk Accessories
Paper
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desk Accessories
Malachite, Bronze
1920s French Egyptian Revival Vintage Desk Accessories
Plaster, Wood
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Stoneware, Terracotta
Late 20th Century Danish Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Plastic
2010s Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Resin
20th Century Italian Desk Accessories
Marble, Metal
1980s Japanese Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s American Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Beech, Teak, Plywood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Aluminum
20th Century American Desk Accessories
Silver
Early 1900s French Renaissance Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1880s English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
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.