Bookends
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Ceramic, Pottery
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Lucite
2010s Bookends
Marble
1910s German Art Nouveau Vintage Bookends
Metal
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
1970s Korean Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
20th Century Bookends
Steel
20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Marble
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Brass, Copper
1920s French Vintage Bookends
Marble, Brass, Spelter
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Stone, Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Bookends
Resin
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century British Bookends
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Bookends
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookends
Steel
Late 19th Century Chinese Late Victorian Antique Bookends
Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Bookends
Gesso, Softwood, Giltwood
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
Late 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Bookends
Other
1990s North American Post-Modern Bookends
Lucite
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Pottery, Walnut
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Teak
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Zinc
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Plaster
1920s Organic Modern Vintage Bookends
Amethyst
2010s Bookends
Earthenware
Early 20th Century American Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Lucite
2010s Bookends
Porcelain
2010s Bookends
Sandstone
2010s Bookends
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Bookends
Bronze
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
2010s Bookends
Porcelain
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Gold, Iron
Early 20th Century American American Craftsman Bookends
Bronze
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Wrought Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Bronze
2010s Bookends
Sandstone
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Brass
2010s Bookends
Marble
1940s French Vintage Bookends
Earthenware
2010s Bookends
Sandstone
Late 20th Century Organic Modern Bookends
Quartz
2010s Bookends
Marble
20th Century Indian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Bookends
Travertine
Late 20th Century American Modern Bookends
Glass
Antique, New and Vintage Bookends
A good pair of antique, new or vintage bookends will look wonderful in your reading nook. And the need for these trusty home accents has stood the test of time, which means there are many different kinds to suit any design taste or furniture style.
Bookends weren’t created until the 1870s. Serving faithfully in the background, they went unobserved for a while. The authors of the Oxford English Dictionary report that the term “book end” didn’t appear in printed material until 1907. The primary function of bookends is to ensure that your books remain upright in your bookcase, but style and form have taken the lead over the years. Furniture makers have ensured that bookends demand as much attention as the books themselves. Indeed, while competing with carefully curated first editions or rows of colorful spines is no small task, plenty of bookends steal the stage.
If you’re looking to add a dose of intrigue or decorative flourish to your reading room that will be difficult to ignore, stone bookends and metal bookends can take on the appearance of small, provocative sculptures rather than functional accessories to keep your books orderly on your shelves. Depending on what kind of textures you’re thinking of introducing to your home office or study, a pair of brass bookends or a bronze set will pop against your dusty hardcovers and any decorative objects you’ve accumulated while working to style your bookcase. A pair of mid-century modern bookends carved from dark, exotic woods such as teak can also introduce warmth to a home office or study. While teak was a favorite of designers who worked with furniture in the mid-20th century, all manner of wood bookends have emerged over the years, with some woodworkers carving ornate patterns or figures into their pieces.
Bookworms, take note: You can find an extraordinary range of antique, new and vintage bookends for your dazzling book displays and bookshelves today on 1stDibs.