Desk Accessories
1890s Grand Tour Antique Desk Accessories
Glass
1840s French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1880s English Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Silver
1990s Italian Other Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Sèvres
Late 19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Porcelain, Wood
1990s American Modern Desk Accessories
Iron
1880s English Antique Desk Accessories
19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1990s Italian Other Desk Accessories
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
Late 19th Century Italian Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
1890s Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century Japanese Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Enamel
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Cut Glass, Wood
Mid-19th Century Irish Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Malachite, Ormolu
Late 19th Century English Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century Early Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1820s British Georgian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
1820s French Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century Italian Other Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
Late 19th Century British Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
Early 19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
1850s French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Enamel
Late 19th Century American American Classical Antique Desk Accessories
Iron, Nickel
1870s European Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1840s English Early Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Agate
19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1990s French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Crystal
1990s Italian Desk Accessories
Murano Glass, Paper
1880s English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1880s Antique Desk Accessories
Glass
Early 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
1880s Antique Desk Accessories
Crystal, Silver Plate
Mid-19th Century French Art Deco Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Empire Antique Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Antique Desk Accessories
Silver, Enamel
Late 19th Century European Gothic Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desk Accessories
Silver
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass
1990s Italian Desk Accessories
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Horn, Wood
Late 19th Century British Antique Desk Accessories
Metal
1890s English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
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.