Modern Desk Accessories
MODERN STYLE
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
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Item Ships From: Europe
Style: Modern
Stunning Solid Silver Swan Letter Opener by Sarah Jones
Located in Bath, GB
A wonderful top quality letter opener by the well renowned modern silversmith, Sarah Jones.
This beautiful example has a handle created from an elegant Swan's head with it's long ...
Category
1980s British Vintage Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Sterling Silver
Unique Patek Philippe 3844 with Amazing Worldmap Dial / 4. of july !
Located in Munich, DE
A wonderful dress watch by Patek Philippe. Equipped with the geneve seal awarded hand wind caliber no.215. The dial changed to a unique look you will never find again. Really amazing...
Category
1970s Swiss Vintage Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold
Nº 4 Contemporary Glazed Ceramic Pink Showtime Vase Collection by Jaime Hayon
By Jaime Hayon
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Showtime Vases are just as current as when we launched them over 10 years ago. They are little decorative sculptures that fully reproduce Jaime Hayon’s universe.
Made of two glazed ceramic pieces. Bi-coloured...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Ceramic
Apollineo Bookend 1 in Leccese Stone and Hand-Painted Ceramic
By TIPSTUDIO
Located in Florence, IT
The Apollineo collection mergs classical and contemporary elements to define a unique aesthetic inspired by Mediterranean architecture and vibes. Sun-blessed pure volumes, shapes mar...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Limestone, Stone
Contemporary Trivet/Coaster in Steel, Square/Circle, Modern, Minimal, Geometric
Located in Stockholm, SE
Trivets in steel with small rubber pads for protection.
Category
2010s Swedish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Steel
Fuchsia Rabbit Door Stopper / Bookends, Made in Italy
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Fuchsia rabbit as a door stopper / bookends.
Made in Italy:
Made in Italy furniture means design, quality, style and sophistication.
The typical eleg...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
Agresti Polished White Jewel Box in Bird's-Eye Maple with Gold-Plated Hardware
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Shiny white bird's-eye maple shiny jewel box with 24-karat pink gold hardware. Necklace on the top and removable tray.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Birdseye Maple
Aina Contemporary Jurassic Fossil Marble Glacies Cube, Living Collection
Located in ES
Glacies Cube sculpted from a solid piece of Jurassic Marble, with Nerineas fossils, in raw finish. Designed by AINA and manufactured by NERINEA in our factory located in Valencia (Spain). All Aina’s products are delivered with a certificate of material authenticity.
Let us tell you the story of the Jurassic Fossil...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Set of 5 Contemporary white & gold Glazed Ceramic Showtime Vases by Jaime Hayon
By Jaime Hayon
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Showtime vases by Jaime Hayon are the most iconic in BD’s catalogue. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Showtime Collection, we asked Jaime for new vase finishes. His propo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold
Contemporary 'Sail' Handmade Aquamarine Crystal Sculpture by Ghirò Studio
By Ghirò Studio
Located in Pieve Emanuele, Milano
2021 Collection of decorative objects signed by Ghirò Studio (Milan).
The natural crystal has high transparencies with aquamarine reflections, it has been curved and handmade to repr...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
21st Century Concrete Cement Tray Centrepiece Handmade in Italy Blue Grey Color
Located in Rome, Lazio
Renzo in a family of multipurpose trays with a very smooth surface and soft curved edges, now available in a different color composition. Each piece is a unique, no two are the same....
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Concrete
Pair of Bookends Balls, 20th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
"Pair of bookends balls, 20th century"
Pair of Bookends forming two marble balls on a stand, 20th Century decorative object.
Category
20th Century European Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Italian Photo Frame in Blue Plexiglass, Sharing Blue
Located in Sarezzo, IT
Sharing blue is a square Italian pop design picture frame in blue plexiglass of Art with Heart collection of photo frames by Laura G ,Italy. It is r...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plexiglass
Ghidini 1961 Knotted Cherry Small Box in Copper-Plated Brass by Nika Zupanc
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
Fiasco. Guilt. Fear of love. A place to hide all the things we secretly desire yet are too scared to utter. The luscious things the perfect lover knows are never to be told. She drea...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Humidor in Black Polished Ebony Avana Nera by Agresti
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Humidor for 100 cigars in ebony polished. Cedar lining. Two humidification units and hygrometer. Removable tray.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Cedar, Ebony
Mahjong Game Board in Black Polished Ebony Passione Di Gioco by Agresti
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Ebony polished mahjong with ruthenium brass parts.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Ebony
Multigame Set in Black Polished Ebony Notte Di Giochi by Agresti
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Polished ebony multigame. Contents chess, backgammon, dice, domino, playing cards and poker chips.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Ebony
Gourmet Square Wood Trivet, by Gunnar Cyren from Warm Nordic
By Gunnar Cyren
Located in Viby J, DK
Beautiful walnut and oak trivets with delicate carvings. Trivets were originally designed in the 1970s by the highly acclaimed Swedish designer, Gunnar Cyren as part of the Gourmet Wood range, and are now being manufactured again by Warm Nordic. Their harmonious design and consummate quality make these wooden trivets perfect for both everyday meals and more festive occasions. The carvings lend the trivets a touch of character and have a life of their own in the form of swaying trees, sprouting hearts and abstract animals, depending on which way you look at them. Gunnar Cyren's Trivets also look attractive on the kitchen worktop...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
20th Century Enzo Mari Danese Paperweight Mod. Tokelau in Iron and Polyurethane
Located in Turin, Turin
Very modernist Paperweight designed by the great designer Enzo Mari for the manufacturer Danese Milano in 1983. The paperweight is called model "Tokelau" that is a Polynesian word me...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Stainless Steel, Iron
Agresti Polished Black Jewel Box with Gold-Plated Hardware
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Jewel box in polished ebony. Lockable by key and with the necklace bar on the top and a removable tray inside. All the hardware is 24-karat pink gold-plated.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold Plate
Nº 5 Contemporary Glazed White & Gold Ceramic Showtime 10' Vase by Jaime Hayon
By Jaime Hayon
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Showtime vases by Jaime Hayon are the most iconic in BD’s catalogue. After completing 10 years, the vases have a new white enamel finish with decorations in 24 carat gold. Talent...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold
Contemporary Handcrafted Geometric Bookend "Tropi 1" in Solid Marble by Anaktae
By ANAKTAE
Located in Athens, GR
Contemporary handcrafted geometric bookend "Tropi 1" in solid marble.
Each bookend is composed of two geometric pieces of solid marble fused togeth...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Small Egg Color Green, in Glass, Italy
Located in Treviso, Treviso
The charm of the shapes is enhanced by the material with which the collection is made: glass.
Transparency, lightness and shine meet the design, transforming into sculptured object...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
Post War Triumph Glass Box by Leo De Carlo
By Vetralia
Located in Milan, IT
This extraordinary Pop Culture design by Leo Decarlo exclusively handcrafted for Vetralia will be a sublime addition to a refined contemporary interior. An engraved crystal box with a lid, it is decorated with gold-coated brass statuettes...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Crystal
Contemporary Handcrafted Bookend "Keres" in Oxidized Brass by Anaktae
By ANAKTAE
Located in Athens, GR
Contemporary, handcrafted bookend model "Keres" in oxidized brass with a curved contour.
This bookend is part of the "Proetus Series", a collection of six bookends in brass.
Variatio...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Yellow Rabbit Door Stopper / Bookends, Made in Italy
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Yellow rabbit as a door stopper / bookends.
Made in Italy:
Made in Italy furniture means design, quality, style and sophistication.
The typical elega...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
DeCastelli Riviera Pots 1 Flower 60 Planter in Stainless Steel by Aldo Cibic
By Aldo Cibic, DeCastelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“I’ve always been drawn to nature as it manifests its strength in unexpected contexts”. With this, Aldo Cibic built a miniature natural landscape, poetically made of structures, cont...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Stainless Steel
21st Century Renzo Set Concrete Tray 100% Handmade in Italy
Located in Rome, Lazio
Renzo in a family of multipurpose trays with a very smooth surface and soft curved edges, now available in a different color composition. Each piece is a unique, no two are the same....
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Concrete
Essenze Magnifying Glass and Letter Opener Set by Nino Basso
Located in Milan, IT
Elegant letter opener set having a sophisticated handle made of erica, the precious wood used to make luxury pipes, combined with an elegant and decorative element made of ebony wood...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
Contemporary 'Papillon' Artistic Crystal Bowl Aquamarine by Ghirò Studio
By Ghirò Studio
Located in Pieve Emanuele, Milano
Innovative design, fine craftsmanship and a strong artistic sense make this creation not only a bowl but a real artistic sculpture. The natural col...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
Vintage English Solid Silver Novelty Golf Club Letter Opener, London 1984
Located in Bath, GB
A fabulous twentieth century solid sterling silver letter opener, English in origin and made from solid sterling silver fully hallmarked for London 1984.
Cast in the form of a gol...
Category
1980s English Vintage Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Sterling Silver
Contemporary Trivet/Coaster in Steel, Circle/Triangle, Modern, Minimal Geometric
Located in Stockholm, SE
Trivets in steel with small rubber pads for protection.
Category
2010s Swedish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Steel
"Love me Now" Marble Heart Gift by On Entropy in White Marble
By on entropy
Located in Athens, GR
"Love me Now" is a marble item designed to evoke the senses. It is shaped as an off-centered heart with a longer tail. Its finish and tactile surface make it a hearty volume, which i...
Category
2010s Greek Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Watch Box for Five Watches in Polished Black with Ultrasuede Detail by Agresti
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Box in polished wood for five watches lined in protective ultrasuede. Hinge in Ruthenium. Box only: watches are not included.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
Ghidini 1961 Omini Cards Holder in Polished Brass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Business cards holder in brass, ideal for holding cards.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
21st Century Concrete Cement Renzo Tray Centrepiece Handmade Perla White Color
Located in Rome, Lazio
Renzo in a family of multipurpose trays with a very smooth surface and soft curved edges, now available in a different color composition. Each piece is a unique, no two are the same....
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Concrete
21st Century by Arch. Aldo Rossi "Sannazzaro" Marble Paperweight
By Aldo Rossi
Located in massa, IT
Marble Paperweight designed by Aldo Rossi.
Size: cm 20 x 4 x H4
Materials: Bianco Carrara - Red Travertine - National Travertine - White Lasa
Designed by: Aldo Rossi.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Small Egg Color Black, in Glass, Italy
Located in Treviso, Treviso
The charm of the shapes is enhanced by the material with which the collection is made: glass.
Transparency, lightness and shine meet the design, transforming into sculptured object...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
21st Century Minimalist Paperweight in Portuguese White Marble "Pele de Tigre"
By Techxture
Located in Nelas, PT
S.Voxel - 21st century modern Portuguese "Pele de Tigre" marble paperweight
S.voxelexplores the importance of object scaling and user experience. Voxels coffee tables and side tab...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Contemporary Handcrafted Geometric Bookend "Tropi 2" in Solid Marble by Anaktae
By ANAKTAE
Located in Athens, GR
Contemporary handcrafted geometric bookend "Tropi 2" in solid marble.
Each bookend is composed of two geometric pieces of solid marble fused togeth...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
DeCastelli Riviera Pots 3 Flower 50 Planter in Stainless Steel by Aldo Cibic
By DeCastelli, Aldo Cibic
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“I’ve always been drawn to nature as it manifests its strength in unexpected contexts”. With this, Aldo Cibic built a miniature natural landscape, poetically made of structures, cont...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Stainless Steel
Gourmet Round Wood Trivet, by Gunnar Cyren from Warm Nordic
By Gunnar Cyren
Located in Viby J, DK
Beautiful walnut and oak trivets with delicate carvings. Trivets were originally designed in the 1970s by the highly acclaimed Swedish designer, Gunnar Cyren as part of the Gourmet Wood range, and are now being manufactured again by Warm Nordic. Their harmonious design and consummate quality make these wooden trivets perfect for both everyday meals and more festive occasions. The carvings lend the trivets a touch of character and have a life of their own in the form of swaying trees, sprouting hearts and abstract animals, depending on which way you look at them. Gunnar Cyren's Trivets also look attractive on the kitchen worktop...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
21st Century Minimalist Paperweight in Black granite "Negro Zimbabwe"
By Techxture
Located in Nelas, PT
S.Voxel - 21st century modern Portuguese "Negro Zimbabwe" marble paperweight
S.voxelexplores the importance of object scaling and user experience. Voxels coffee tables and side ta...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
21st Century by Giuliano Bettinzolli "Poggia Libro" Desk Marble Complement
By Giuliano Bettinzolli
Located in massa, IT
Desk Marble complement designed by Giuliano Bettinzolli - Set of 2
Price referred to the pair
Size: 2x Cm 16 x 16 x Diameter cm 10
Materials: White Carrara - Black Portoro - Nationa...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Agresti Black Ebony Polished Wood Box for 24 Cufflinks with Leather Detail
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Box for 24 pairs of cufflinks in black polished wood with leather handles.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Leather, Wood
Old Model of a Private Plane Falcon, 20th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Old model of a private plane falcon. Very interesting model of a private plane model falcon. Years 70. It is made entirely in massive aluminum. Totally we...
Category
20th Century American Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Aluminum
Contemporary Handmade Aquamarine Vertical Crystal Picture Frame by Ghirò Studio
By Ghirò Studio
Located in Pieve Emanuele, Milano
2021 Collection of picture frames by Ghirò Studio.
Vertical picture frame of excellent workmanship and artistic quality.
The rounded edges give harmony and elegance.
The high tran...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
Galucharme Desk Accessories Set #4 by Nino Basso
Located in Milan, IT
In Japan, shagreen was documented and preserved since started appearing on sword hilts and armor of Samurai during the Middle Ages, in part because its text...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Leather
Ruelland Ceramic Pebble, circa 1960, France
Located in Paris, FR
Small ceramic pebble by Jacques (1926-2088) and Dani Ruelland (1933-2010).
Signed Ruelland under the base.
Circa 1960, France.
Category
20th Century French Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Ceramic
Contemporary 'Dumbbell' Aquamarine Crystal Handmade in Italy by Ghirò Studio
By Ghirò Studio
Located in Pieve Emanuele, Milano
2021 Collection of decorative objects by Ghiro Studio (Milan, Italy).
Each ‘Dumbbell’ sculpture is a unique piece. It is handmade with the utmost care and attention to detail.
It...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
Contemporary 'Oasi' Set of Six Crystal Bowls Amber and Gold by Ghirò Studio
By Ghirò Studio
Located in Pieve Emanuele, Milano
The set creates a decorative game with a contemporary design ideal to give an unmistakable style to any environment. The shape of a rounded triangle gives sobrietiness and elegance w...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
Galucharme Table Watch by Nino Basso
Located in Milan, IT
Design Center 1991 is high quality brand, focused in luxury Italian Design home and office accessories. Unique pieces and small series are conceived as self-contained units that comm...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Leather
Agresti Black Polished Wood Chest for 55 Pens with Suede and Leather Detail
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Lockable chest in black polished wood. Holds up to 55 pens.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Suede, Wood
Black Polished Chest for 28 Watches by Agresti
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Chest in black polished wood. A lockable box for 28 watches.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
Italian Photo Frame Modern Wood, Humour Pink Wood
Located in Sarezzo, IT
Humour wood is a phot frame of the Italian collection of photo frames
Laura G Art with Heart realized by Italian handcrafts in natural wood.
painted in fuchsia acrylic. It is a very funny and beautiful photo frame
for your images of life. It can be hanged at a wall as well, and you may
create a wonderful wall decorated as designed by an artist.
It is “c'est la vie Art with Heart “ , bring a piece of Italy into your home.
You may simply keep the photo frame on your table, as a
wonderful top photo frame for your photos. Humour pink wood...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
DeCastelli Riviera Pots 1 Flower 90 Planter in Stainless Steel by Aldo Cibic
By Aldo Cibic, DeCastelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“I’ve always been drawn to nature as it manifests its strength in unexpected contexts”. With this, Aldo Cibic built a miniature natural landscape, poetically made of structures, cont...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Stainless Steel
Trash Can, Czechoslovakia, circa 1980
Located in Praha, CZ
Original never used condition with original box.
Category
1980s Czech Vintage Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
Crystal Egg Color White, in Glass, Italy
Located in Treviso, Treviso
The charm of the shapes is enhanced by the material with which the collection is made: glass.
Transparency, lightness and shine meet the design, transforming into sculptured object...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
Modern desk accessories for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern desk accessories for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage desk accessories created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, more furniture and collectibles, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, stone and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern desk accessories made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original desk accessories, popular names associated with this style include Ghidini 1961, Danese Milano, Enzo Mari, and AIREDELSUR. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for desk accessories differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $15 and tops out at $57,800 while the average work can sell for $499.
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