Bookends
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1950s American Federal Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Pewter
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century American Classical Bookends
Iron
1930s French Vintage Bookends
Marble
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Metal
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Bookends
Giltwood
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Metal
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Bookends
Silver Plate, Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Walnut
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Post-Modern Bookends
Lucite
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Hardwood
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Bookends
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Rock Crystal
Mid-20th Century Spanish Bookends
Oak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century Industrial Bookends
Bronze
1980s Italian Vintage Bookends
Stone
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Bookends
Iron
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Oak
2010s Italian Bookends
Marble
1930s British Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Stoneware
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Bronze
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Brass
1920s American Industrial Vintage Bookends
Iron
Late 19th Century Botswanan Tribal Antique Bookends
Ebony
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century English Bookends
Wood
20th Century Post-Modern Bookends
Marble
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Glass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
20th Century American Modern Bookends
Lucite
19th Century European Romantic Antique Bookends
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Pewter
Early 20th Century Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1920s Danish Art Nouveau Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Bookends
Metal
1920s Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Bookends
Marble, Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Bookends
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Bookends
Crystal
1930s French French Provincial Vintage Bookends
Faience
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
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.