Desk Accessories
15th Century and Earlier Malagasy Prehistoric Antique Desk Accessories
Stone
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Copper
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 20th Century Swiss Art Deco Desk Accessories
Brass, Enamel
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Wood
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Stone
Early 20th Century Italian Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Metal
1980s British Post-Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
20th Century Desk Accessories
Gold
1960s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Gold Leaf
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Belgian Black Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 20th Century Austrian Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass, Art Glass
Late 19th Century Arts and Crafts Antique Desk Accessories
Oak
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Marble
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century Campaign Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 20th Century English Desk Accessories
Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Desk Accessories
Brass
1940s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver
19th Century Spanish Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
19th Century English Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Stone, Bronze
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
15th Century and Earlier Unknown Antique Desk Accessories
Petrified Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
19th Century British Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass, Sommerso, Murano Glass
2010s American Minimalist Desk Accessories
Soapstone
Late 19th Century French Rococo Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1980s Italian Organic Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
1980s Swiss Art Nouveau Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1980s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Bronze
1830s French Louis Philippe Antique Desk Accessories
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Desk Accessories
Paper, Plastic
1880s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Desk Accessories
Alpaca, Glass
19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Paper
1950s Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Malachite, Ormolu
20th Century Italian Grand Tour Desk Accessories
Marble
1990s French Modern Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Desk Accessories
Porcelain
Early 20th Century European French Provincial Desk Accessories
Ceramic
20th Century French Art Nouveau Desk Accessories
Onyx, Ormolu
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.