Desk Accessories
15th Century and Earlier Mexican Mid-Century Modern Antique Desk Accessories
Petrified Wood
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Desk Accessories
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1970s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass
1860s French Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1990s Portuguese Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Plastic, Bakelite
2010s Argentine Modern Desk Accessories
Stone, Onyx, Metal
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Lucite
1960s German Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass, Nickel
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 20th Century Czech Art Nouveau Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century British Desk Accessories
Hardwood
2010s American Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Lucite
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver
1890s French Belle Époque Antique Desk Accessories
Onyx, Bronze
1950s German Country Vintage Desk Accessories
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Silk
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Bronze
1980s Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Crystal
1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Desk Accessories
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Glass
1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Wood
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Blown Glass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
20th Century Desk Accessories
Gold
1630s Dutch Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1970s French Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Marble, Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Walnut
1940s German Bauhaus Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Glass
Late 20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Paper
Late 20th Century Danish Modern Desk Accessories
Aluminum
1910s Vintage Desk Accessories
Paper, Leather
1970s Hong Kong Space Age Vintage Desk Accessories
Plastic
Early 2000s Canadian Minimalist Desk Accessories
Wood, Willow
1970s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Desk Accessories
Chrome
Late 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Gold Plate, Brass
1810s Italian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Carrara Marble, Bronze
1960s German Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Late 19th Century French Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Bronze
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1970s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Iron
19th Century French Napoleon III 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.