Desk Accessories
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass
1930s Italian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Crystal
1930s Swiss Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Horn
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal, Nickel
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal, Chrome
1960s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Gold
1930s Slovak Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble, Brass
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1930s British Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Chrome
1960s French Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble, Brass
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Plywood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass, Art Glass
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal, Brass
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Rosewood
1960s Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Porcelain
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Chrome
1930s American Vintage Desk Accessories
Iron
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Chrome
1930s British Other Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass, Wood
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Ceramic
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Crystal, Pewter
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze, Enamel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass
1960s German Brutalist Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1930s English Art Nouveau Vintage Desk Accessories
Tin
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Horn
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble, Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Plastic
1960s German Space Age Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Blown Glass, Art Glass
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Chrome
1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1930s Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Bakelite
1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver Leaf
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Chrome
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1930s French Vintage Desk Accessories
Macassar
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Marble
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Plastic
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bakelite
1960s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
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.