Desk Accessories
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze, Brass
Early 1900s French Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Horn
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal, Nickel
Early 1900s French Antique Desk Accessories
Faience
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Plywood
Early 1900s English Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Early 1900s Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Rosewood
1960s Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1960s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Chrome
Early 1900s American Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s European Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Horn
Early 1900s European Baroque Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Chrome
Early 1900s English Antique Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Ceramic
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Chrome
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bronze, Enamel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Plastic
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass
1960s German Brutalist Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver Leaf
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Blown Glass, Art Glass
1960s German Space Age Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Rosewood
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 1900s Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Early 1900s German Arts and Crafts Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s French Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Silver
1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
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
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Early 1900s Other Antique Desk Accessories
Porcelain
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Cocobolo
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Bentwood
1960s Organic Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
Early 1900s French Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 1900s British Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano 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.