Desk Accessories
1870s English Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble
Late 19th Century English Egyptian Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze, Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Desk Accessories
Bronze
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Teak
1920s English Edwardian Vintage Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver, Gold
19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Onyx, Bronze
19th Century German Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Desk Accessories
Silver
1960s British Futurist Vintage Desk Accessories
Aluminum
Early 20th Century French Desk Accessories
Enamel, Silver
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
19th Century French Renaissance Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
2010s American Rustic Desk Accessories
Copper
2010s American Modern Desk Accessories
Animal Skin, Wood
2010s French 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.