Desk Accessories
Late 20th Century Indian Art Deco Desk Accessories
Resin
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Wood
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Desk Accessories
Metallic Thread
Late 20th Century European Desk Accessories
Glass
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1980s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble
Late 20th Century Japanese Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Chrome
1980s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze, Foil
Early 1900s French Belle Époque Antique Desk Accessories
Platinum, Silver, Enamel, Gold
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Blown Glass
Late 20th Century German Modern Desk Accessories
Stainless Steel
1990s American Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Glass
1990s Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Chrome
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 20th Century Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 20th Century Swiss Desk Accessories
Leather
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso
1980s English Vintage Desk Accessories
Stoneware
Late 20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Crystal
Early 1900s Belgian Antique Desk Accessories
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Travertine, Marble
1980s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 20th Century Russian Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Early 1900s English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Chrome
1970s French Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Nickel, Stainless Steel, Chrome
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Alabaster, Marble
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Plastic, Acrylic
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Ceramic
Early 1900s French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1990s American Art Deco Desk Accessories
Metal
Late 20th Century Japanese Scandinavian Modern Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
1970s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Crystal
Late 20th Century Chinese Desk Accessories
Porcelain
Late 20th Century European Desk Accessories
Glass
Late 20th Century French Desk Accessories
Metallic Thread
1980s Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Wood, Glass
Late 20th Century Indian Desk Accessories
Iron
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Leather
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 20th Century English Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Blown Glass
1980s British Post-Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1980s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Porcelain
1980s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal, Steel
1980s Japanese Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Late 20th Century Scandinavian Modern Desk Accessories
Plastic
Late 20th Century Italian Desk Accessories
Art Glass
1970s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Desk Accessories
Silver, Sterling Silver
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.