Desk Accessories
19th Century Persian Other Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
19th Century British Campaign Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century French Rococo Antique Desk Accessories
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1910s German Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century British Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Silver, Bronze
1910s Scottish Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
19th Century American Arts and Crafts Antique Desk Accessories
Glass
1880s Italian Antique Desk Accessories
Agate, Amethyst, Malachite, Onyx, Marble
Early 19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Hardwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Leather
1910s Scottish Art Nouveau Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Desk Accessories
Gold, Bronze
Early 19th Century German Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Iron
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
1880s French Renaissance Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Bone
19th Century Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Felt, Birdseye Maple, Ebony
19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Glass
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Marble
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Bronze
1910s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass, Art Glass
19th Century Spanish Other Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
1910s Russian Neoclassical Vintage Desk Accessories
Jade, Silver
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Marble
1890s French Regency Antique Desk Accessories
Walnut
1890s French Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Multi-gemstone, Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Mid-19th Century German Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Wood, Antler
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Rosewood
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
Late 19th Century French Rococo Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Desk Accessories
Stone, Brass
1890s French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1860s Italian Classical Roman Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Carrara Marble, Siena Marble, Bronze
19th Century British Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal
Mid-19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Gold, Silver, Steel, Iron
19th Century British Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Silver Plate
Early 19th Century French Charles X Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century Japanese Edo Antique Desk Accessories
Pine
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Desk Accessories
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Unknown Late Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Resin, Glass
1890s English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver, Enamel
1870s English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century British Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1880s Gothic Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
19th Century English Regency Antique Desk Accessories
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century French Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century German Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
1880s American Antique Desk Accessories
Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Gold, 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.