Desk Accessories
1890s British Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Fruitwood
19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Glass
1870s British Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
1890s German Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Desk Accessories
Slate
19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century English High Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century Chinese Early Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Stone, Marble
1870s Italian Antique Desk Accessories
Paper
19th Century German Rococo Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Porcelain
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Blown Glass
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century British Renaissance Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century French Gothic Antique Desk Accessories
Quartz, Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Silver Plate
1880s British Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
1920s American Vintage Desk Accessories
Leather
19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze, Enamel
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Leather
Late 19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1920s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Pewter
1890s British Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
Late 19th Century Russian Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
Late 19th Century American American Classical Antique Desk Accessories
Iron, Nickel
1880s French Belle Époque Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Brass, Gold Plate
Late 19th Century French Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century French Early Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Early Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century French Rococo Antique Desk Accessories
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Desk Accessories
Enamel
Late 19th Century French Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Enamel
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Leather
19th Century German Antique Desk Accessories
Pottery
19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
Late 19th Century French Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Enamel
Late 19th Century French Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Enamel
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Desk Accessories
Marble
1870s English Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century French Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Enamel
1880s Italian Renaissance Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Onyx, Brass
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1840s French Louis Philippe Antique Desk Accessories
Cherry
19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Porphyry
Late 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Desk Accessories
Marble
1850s French Antique Desk Accessories
Glass
19th Century Campaign Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
19th Century Italian Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Marble
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.