Bookends
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Glass
Mid-20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Porcelain
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Bookends
Lucite, Shell, Acrylic
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
2010s Turkish Classical Greek Bookends
Statuary Marble
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Bookends
Hardwood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
2010s Turkish Classical Greek Bookends
Statuary Marble
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Bookends
Brass
1830s American American Empire Antique Bookends
Brass, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookends
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
2010s American Brutalist Bookends
Concrete
Early 1700s French Antique Bookends
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Balinese Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Teak
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Nickel
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
1980s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Onyx
1930s Vintage Bookends
Metal
1970s American Bohemian Vintage Bookends
Shell, Felt, Wood
Mid-20th Century European Grand Tour Bookends
Alabaster
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Early 20th Century Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookends
Metal
2010s French Art Deco Bookends
Belgian Black Marble, Metal
Late 20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
20th Century Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
1960s Spanish Hollywood Regency Vintage Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Bookends
Metal
2010s Australian Modern Bookends
Bronze
1910s American Prairie School Vintage Bookends
Terracotta
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Art Glass
20th Century American Bookends
Steel
1960s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1980s Unknown Other Vintage Bookends
Plaster, Paint
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Bookends
Brass
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
1920s Austrian Adam Style Vintage Bookends
Bronze
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Dutch Art Deco Bookends
Paint, Ceramic
Late 20th Century Moorish Bookends
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Bookends
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Bookends
Brass
Early 1900s English Folk Art Antique Bookends
Stone
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Siena Marble, Metal
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Bookends
Carrara Marble
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.