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Desk Accessories For Sale
Style: Neoclassical
Style: Industrial
Neoclassical Rococo Reticulated Foliate Gilt Bronze Cameo Letter Holder 20thC
Located in Big Flats, NY
Neoclassical Rococo Reticulated Foliate Form Gilt Bronze Letter Holder with Cameo, 20thC Measures- 11.5''H x 10''W x 4.5''D
Category

20th Century Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

1960s Table Fan by OMNIA type VS20, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
Vintage industrial table fan Made of metal and plastic Fully functional.
Category

1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Small Table Fan by STROJ SMALT, 1960s Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
Vintage industrial table fan Made of metal and plastic Fully functional.
Category

1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Desk Organizer with Perpetual Calendar by Fabio Manlio Ciocca for Guzzini, 1980s
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Stylish desk organizer with perpetual calendar made of plexiglass, designed by Fabio Manlio Ciocca and produced by Guzzini in the 80s. This lovely vintage piece has a rigorous squar...
Category

1980s Italian Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Plexiglass

Doré Bronze And Enamel Writing Desk Casket
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exquisite French writing desk casket is a stellar example of neoclassical craftsmanship. Fashioned from Doré bronze and adorned with royal blue enamel, it features a classical t...
Category

19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze, Enamel

English Bronze 'His Royal Highness Prince Albert' Commemorative Desk Clip
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
English Bronze 'His Royal Highness Prince Albert' Commemorative Desk Clip England, early 20th century A distinguished English bronze 'His Royal Highness Prince Albert' Commemorative...
Category

Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

Design Magnetic Writing Set from Biliko in Blue, Italy, 1970s
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Eye catching and rare writing set ‘Biliko’ set, with stylish round support and matching pen made in Italy in the 70s. Biliko (actually ‘bilico’) is the Italian word for ‘balance’ or...
Category

1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Plastic

Unusual Magnetic Writing Set in Red from Biliko, Italy, 1970s
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Eye catching and rare writing set ‘Biliko’ set, with stylish round support and matching pen made in Italy in the 70s. Biliko (actually ‘bilico’) is the Italian word for ‘balance’ or...
Category

1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Plastic

Iconic Kartell 4672 Dark Brown Plastic Paper Basket - Ufficio Tecnico Design
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Paper basket in dark brown plastic model 4672, designed by Ufficio Tecnico Kartell and produced by Kartell in the 70s. This square base basket has rounded edges, a signature of the ...
Category

1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Plastic

Silver Inkwell For Czar Nicholas
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exquisite inkwell by the legendary Grachev Brothers was made for Czar Nicholas of Russia. Featuring intricately cut glass in a star pattern, the inkwell rests upon an exquisite ...
Category

Late 19th Century Russian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Silver

Landers, Frary & Clark Cast Iron Coffee Grinder/Mill
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This a large and heavy Landers, Frary & Clark cast iron coffee grinder#20 1/2. It has a bell shaped nickel hopper with a flat wood lid and two...
Category

Late 19th Century American American Classical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Iron, Nickel

Ettore Sottsass 1970s Melamine Office Set Olivetti Synthesis 45
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Amazing office set from the iconic Synthesis 45 series, designed in the 1973 by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by Olivetti. The story of Olivetti Synthesis goes back to the golden ...
Category

1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Plastic

Bronze Pyramid
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bronze sculptural pyramid with geometric tubing. Dimensions 5" width x 4" depth x 4.5" height. Condition Excellent vintage condition; bronze carries age appropriate patina.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

Antique Coffee and Tea Tin K. Tiktak's Amsterdam Groningen, Early 20th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
Antique Coffee and Tea Tin from the Early 20th Century. Designed and made for K.Tiktak Coffee and Tea Factory, which was located in Amsterdam and Groningen Holland , The Netherlands. A beautiful dark green Lithographic Tin - Decorative Box. The lid of the box is loose and the little handle is lost, but due the age that's normal. The beautiful silver Lithografic design of the Factory Building is still in very good condition. An old coffee and tea container, a shop storage container, a shop counter tin which is a great decorative box, a collectible Coffee Tin and a decorative object. Tiktak's Coffee History started in 1870 and they became famous for their afternoon tea and coffee. They are known for coffee with a soft taste. This Dutch Company survived all the years and still produces the finest coffee and tea. Great decorative item - home decor - home decoration - gift idea - coffee collectables...
Category

Early 20th Century Dutch Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Tin

Brass "Reserved" Button
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Brass decorative object or paperweight. This brass button showcases a round face with embossed "RESERVED" on the front. It would be great as an office paperweight or decorative obje...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

Hollow Brass Rectangular Object
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Industrial rectangular brass object. The brutalist form features a hollow center. The geometric block can be used as a bookend or decorative element. Dimensions 4" width x 2" dept...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

Neoclassical Style Metal Tissue Box Cover
Located in Sheffield, MA
Add style and the finishing touch to your countertop or nightstand with this antiqued gold toned top and grey ribbed metal body tissue box cover to pr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Wedgwood Jasperware Black Basalt & White Jewelry Dish Neoclassical, 1960s
Located in New York, NY
An English Wedgwood Jasperware black basalt and white stoneware rectangular jewelry dish with Neoclassical design, 1963, England. Piece is a matte bla...
Category

20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Pottery, Stoneware

English Wedgwood Jasperware Jewelry Dish with Neoclassical Design
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful English Wedgwood Jasperware sage green and white round jewelry dish with neoclassical design, circa 20th century, 1979, England...
Category

20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Stoneware

Tiffany & Co. Porcelain Lidded Trinket Box Designed for Tauck World France
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Tiffany & Co. porcelain round trinket box. Tiffany & Co. porcelain round map box designed for Tauck World, Made In France. The porcelain lid cover is dec...
Category

Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Porcelain

0riginal Vintage Industrial Art Deco Table Fan by Marelli Italy
Located in Vienna, AT
This iconoc Italian table fan has been produced by Marelli ca 1940s. It is in original condition, with some wear and some losses at the base consistent of age and use, preserving a b...
Category

1940s Italian Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Antique Lion Inkwell Desk Inkstand Napoleon French c1890
Located in Mimizan, FR
Antique Lion Inkwell Desk Inkstand French c1890 Handsome Lion Bronze Good condition with minor signs of wear for its age.
Category

1890s French Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

Vintage 1920s Industrial Vulcanized Office Factory Desk Wastebasket Trash Can
Located in Hyattsville, MD
American vulcanized fiber company factory office trash can, small to medium in size. The cleanest example that we have ever found, even with paper label to the outer bottom as well. ...
Category

1920s American Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Natural Fiber

Distressed Industrial Look Desk Top Stationary Box Letter Rack
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Distressed Industrial Look Desk Top Stationary Box Letter Rack A Desk top Letter rack, with 4 large pockets each with a metal label holder A Useful and Sturdy piece, the rack has...
Category

Early 2000s Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Wood

English Wedgwood Jasperware Jewelry Dish with Neoclassical Design
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful English Wedgwood Jasperware sage green and white round jewelry dish with neoclassical design, circa 20th century, 1979, England...
Category

20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Stoneware

Vintage Smith Corona Typewriter and Case
Located in Pasadena, TX
Vintage Smith corona typewriter and case. Black Smith Corona standard typewriter made in USA. This typewriter features round glass keys. Th...
Category

1940s North American Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Pair Wedgwood Blue and White Jasperware Desk Accessories
Located in New York, NY
Pair Wedgwood blue and white Jasperware desk accessories. Beautiful blue grey bisque beaker/bud-vase with cream-ivory neoclassical bas relief, ...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Stoneware

Small Table Fan, 1960s Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
Vintage industrial table fan Made of metal and plastic Fully functional.
Category

1960s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Two Tesla industry Telephones in bright yellow , wall mount
Located in Vienna, Austria
A pair of industrial telephones from the company Tesla Stropkov, a.s., produced 2004 in Slovakia. The telephone model 4 FN 153 27 has pased the EU regulations 1999/ 5/EU. This teleph...
Category

Early 2000s Slovak Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Plastic

20th Century Bronze / Brass Industrial Flame Proof Ceiling Light / Desk Lamp
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
Solid bronze desk lamp with braided cable and dimmer switch. Comes with vintage Edison filament lamp E27. Made in the 1980s by Kokosha - Osaka, Japan. ...
Category

19th Century Japanese Industrial Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Henrik Wigström 1908 Russia Saint Petersburg Enameled Snuff Box in 14kt Gold
Located in Miami, FL
A snuff gold box designed by Henrik Wigström. Beautiful neo classic snuff box, created in St, Petersburg Russia, at the workshop of Henrik Wigström, back in the 1908. This piece has been carefully crafted in the Russian imperial and Louis XVI styles, in solid yellow gold of 56 zolotnik (14kt) and embellished with applications of white enamel. Decorated around with garlands and intricates dotted patterns. Fitted with an invisible hinge and close perfectly well. Weight: 36.65 Grams, (23.49 Dwt). Measurements: 41 mm by 39 mm by 14 mm (1.61 x 1.53 x 0.55 Inches). Hallmarks: Stamped on both parts with Russian marks; the kokoshnik post 1908 mark with the letter a for the city of Saint Petersburg, the maker's mark HW associated to Henrik Wigström inside an oval cartouche, scratched with his inventory numbers 86111 and the 56 zolotnik mark for the assay and warranty of the gold. Other Hallmarks: Stamped in the outside border, with German importation marks; the German Crown mark, the retailer mark AT inside an oval and the 585 mark for the assay and warranty of the gold. Henrik Immanuel Wigström born on 1862 and was a Finnish silver & goldsmith. He was one of the most important Fabergé workmasters along with Michael Perchin. Perchin was the head workmaster from 1886 until his death in 1903, when he was succeeded by his chief assistant Henrik Wigström. These two workmasters were responsible for almost all the imperial Easter eggs. Henrik Wigström was born in Ekenäs, Finland, and was apprenticed to a local Danish born goldsmith named Peter Madsén, a successful manufacturer of silverware who was familiar with the jewellery trade in the city of St. Petersburg, as at one time he had had a workshop there. Once in Madsén's employment, his master's trade with Russia, as well as his numerous business contacts here, brought him to work in St. Petersburg. Goldsmith Werner Elfström employed Wigström as a apprentice on his arrival in the capital in 1875. Wigström became assistant in 1884, at the age of 22, to Perchin, whose shop at that time was already working exclusively for Fabergé. Wigström became head workmaster at Fabergé after Perchin's death in 1903. The number of craftsmen in Wigström's workshop diminished drastically with the outbreak of World War I. By 1918, the Revolution forced the complete closing of the House of Fabergé. Aged 56, Wigström retreated almost empty-handed to his summer house, on Finnish territory, and died at Terijoki in 1923. His art is similar to Perchin's but tends to be in the Louis XVI, Empire, or neo-classical style. Nearly all the Fabergé hardstone animals...
Category

Early 1900s Russian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Gold, Enamel

Wedgwood Jasperware Jewelry Dish with Neoclassical Design, circa 1960s
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful English Wedgwood Jasperware small rectangular jewelry dish with Neoclassical design, 1961, England. Piece is a matte stoneware in a light green with a white Neoclassical raised relief at center and leaf design around edge. Great as a standalone piece or for a vanity, dresser, desk, etc., to hold jewelry or other small items. With maker's mark "Wedgwood", "Made in England", "61", on bottom as shown in last two images. Dimensions: 3.19" Depth x 6" Width. Lavender Jasperware urn...
Category

20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Stoneware, Pottery

Russian 1915 Moscow Nephrite Jade Desk Picture Frame Mounted in Gilded Silver
Located in Miami, FL
Nephrite jade and gilded silver desk frame. Beautiful neo classic desk picture frame, created in Moscow Russia, back in the 1915. Carefully crafted in the Russian imperial and Louis XVI style, with solid gilded silver, translucent nephrite green jade...
Category

1910s Russian Neoclassical Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Jade, Silver

French 1890 Etui Sealing Wax Case with Guilloche Blue Enamel in Sterling Silver
Located in Miami, FL
French etui sealing wax case. Exquisite objet d'art, created in Paris France in the late 19th century, circa 1890. This is a etui sealing wax case, mast...
Category

1890s French Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Multi-gemstone, Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel

Antique Underwood Typewriter and Table
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this antique underwood typewriter and table. Both items were found in a place where time stopped. The machine is working perfectl...
Category

1930s American Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Iron

19th Century English Sheffield Silver Plate Lyre Shaped Letter Rack Holder
Located in Pearland, TX
A lovely antique English silverplate lyre shaped letter holder by Thomas Bradbury of Sheffield, dated 1872. Hallmarks on base. This beautiful letter rack has a Neoclassical design wi...
Category

19th Century English Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Silver Plate

English Wedgwood Jasperware Jewelry Dish with Neoclassical Design
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful English Wedgwood Jasperware sage green and white round jewelry dish with neoclassical design, circa 20th century, 1979, England...
Category

20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware

Antique Vintage Kodak Wooden Trimming Board by Eastman
Located in San Diego, CA
Antique vintage kodak wooden trimming board by Eastman. The wooden cutting surface measures 6 inches tall by 5 inches wide by 3/4 inches tall. Some of the original writing can be seen on the surface of the board and the ruler on the top is visible. This board was used for trimming photographs. Beautiful and interesting piece for your use or library decor...
Category

1940s American Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Antique Braise Cast Iron Flat Press Laundry Trivet, France, 19th Century
Located in Labrit, Landes
This cast iron trivet is particular Because it was created to put braises inside. This type of model represented a step forward for the laundress b...
Category

Late 19th Century French Industrial Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Iron

French 1819-1838 Neoclassical Louis XVI Rectangular Snuff Box Labrated 18kt Gold
Located in Miami, FL
French snuff box in solid gold. Exceptional rectangular snuff box, crafted in Paris France during the second monarchic restoration period, between the 1818 and 1838. It was carefully crafted in the neoclassical Louis XVI style in solid yellow gold of 18 karats. Fitted with a hinged lid and embellished with intricate chiseled, engraved and guilloche finishes, Monogramed AS inside the counterpart of the lid. Weight: 1l7.75 Grams, (75.48 Dwt). Measurements: 89 mm by 54 mm by 20 mm (3.5 x 2.13 x 0.79 Inches). Hallmarks: Stamped with ancient French marks; the Zeus head...
Category

1830s French Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Gold

Henrik Wigström Russia Imperial 1915 Red Enamel Picture Frame In Gilded Sterling
Located in Miami, FL
Presentation picture frame from the imperial Russia. Beautiful neo classic picture desk frame, created in Moscow Russia, back in the 1910's. It was carefully crafted in the Russia...
Category

1910s Russian Neoclassical Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Gold, Silver, Enamel

Charles & Richard Comyns 1920 London Neo Classic Carriage Table Clock in Sterlin
Located in Miami, FL
Travel carriage clock designed by Charles & Richard Comyns. Beautiful small travel-desk clock, created by the top notch and prestigious silversmith company of Charles & Richard Co...
Category

1920s English Neoclassical Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Silver, Sterling Silver

19th Century Gilt Bronze Eagle Fragment on White Marble Stand, Italy
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Italian gilt bronze sculpture of an eagle on a rectangular white Carrera piece of marble. The high quality of the gilt work and the early age makes the eagl...
Category

1810s Italian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Carrara Marble, Bronze

Venus de Milo White Granite Marble Female Figurative Statue Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful white granite marble reproduction of Greek goddess 'Venus de Milo' female figure statue sculpture in the Neoclassical style, circa early 20th century, Italy. A great deco...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Granite, Marble

Vintage Remington Rand Model 5 Typewriter with Portable Carrying Case
Located in Pasadena, TX
Vintage Remington Rand model 5 typewriter with portable carrying case. This Remington Rand 5 streamlined portable typewriter was built in the 1940s and features a hard carrying ca...
Category

1940s North American Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Cut Steel

Antique World War ll Era US Navy Bakelite Switch Board Phone, c.1940
Located in San Francisco, CA
About World War ll era US Navy Bakelite and wood switch board telephone with original "Bay Area" label. Creator US Navy. Date of manufac...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

19th Century Polychrome Sculpture of a Roman Woman
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Italian original painted plaster sculpture of a young Roman woman in nice gilt dress and flower wreath. This well sculptured smiling lady cou...
Category

1880s Italian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Plaster

Large Stainless Steel Industrial Fork Mold Sculpture for Silverware
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Large vintage industrial factory mold in stainless steel in the shape of a large dinner fork. These highly decorative sculptures are sold separately or a...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Stainless Steel

Underwood Vintage Manual Typewriter
By Underwood Universal
Located in Pasadena, TX
Underwood ” Vintage manual typewriter The Underwood Typewriter Company was a manufacturer of typewriters headquartered in New Y...
Category

1940s North American Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Steel

Royal Quiet DeLuxe Two Tone Typewriter and Case, c.1948 (FREE SHIPPING)
Located in San Francisco, CA
About A vintage Royal Quiet DeLuxe typewriter in two tone crinkle finish. Shell re-designed by Henry Dreyfuss, Squared shell, grey and black with oval chrome inserts for front levers. Keytops changed in this typewriter from round glass to "tombstone" glass with chromed rims. Original case with Bakelite handle. Creator Royal Typewriter...
Category

Early 20th Century Industrial Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal, Nickel

1940s Herbert Terry Anglepoise Draughtsman's Task Desk Lamp No 1209 Industrial
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
The ultimate in desk lamps – a very genuine Post War four-spring model 1209 Anglepoise draughtsman’s task lamp manufactured by Herbert Terry & Sons, Redditch, England. ‘The Anglepo...
Category

1940s British Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Aluminum, Brass, Iron

Malachite Jewelry Box with Cameo Design
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful and substantial green Malachite decorative or jewelry box, circa late-20th century. Box is rectangular in shape with resin female cameo detail on top lid. Piece is beautifully hand-crafted. Piece makes a great decorative or storage jewelry box to hold small items or jewelry such as necklaces (as demonstrated), rings, earring, cufflinks, etc., on a vanity, nightstand, dresser, desk, credenza, walk-in-closet, etc. Dimensions: 2.25" Height x 2.38" Width x 3.32" Depth. Other boxes shown available separately; search 1stDibs ref. #s: Purple Charoite box...
Category

Late 20th Century Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Malachite

Georg Jensen 289 Handcrafted Sterling Silver Money Clip by Sigvard Bernadotte
Located in New York, NY
Rectangular money clip with nature motif.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Neoclassical Desk Accessories

Materials

Sterling Silver

Turn of the Century French Bronze Sculpture
Located in High Point, NC
Made at the turn of the century in France, this bronze sculpture exudes a sense of peaceful contemplation. The detailed form depicts a seated woman, clothed in flowing robes. In one hand, dropped at her side, she holds a mirror; her face is turned away in a gesture of pensive serenity. The burnished patina of the bronze lends a gentle glow to the curves of her body and the raised folds of the cloth...
Category

Early 1900s French Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Bronze

A Norwegian Porphyry Sphere
Located in Spencertown, NY
The purple/white stone in the shape of a sphere
Category

Mid-19th Century Norwegian Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Porphyry

1950's Industrial Time Card Rack, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
Vintage industrial, metal worker time card rack.
Category

1950s Czech Industrial Vintage Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Pocket Watch, Jaqs Blanc, Gold, Enamel, Etc. Possibly ca Late 18th C
Located in Madrid, ES
Pocket watch, Jaqs Blanc. gold, enamel, etc. Possibly towards the end of the 18th century. Pocket watch with a white dial and Arabic numerals for the hours and lines and Arabic num...
Category

Late 18th Century Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal, Gold, Enamel, Other

Collection of Table Ornaments 19th and 20th Century, Cut Crystal, Gilt Bronze
Located in Buchanan, MI
A collection of table ornaments, cut crystal gilt bronze 19th and 20th century, priced per item. Height of tallest 20 1/4 inches.
Category

19th Century English American Classical Antique Desk Accessories

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

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.

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