Bookends
Mid-20th Century American Modern Bookends
Acrylic, Lucite
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Bookends
Metal
Early 20th Century American Modern Bookends
Resin
1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Iron, Steel
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Art Glass
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bookends
Art Glass
1970s South American Tribal Vintage Bookends
Marble
1880s American Second Empire Antique Bookends
2010s American Post-Modern Bookends
Art Glass
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Bookends
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Glass
Early 20th Century American Bookends
Aluminum
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Lucite
Late 20th Century Portuguese Bookends
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Bookends
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Composition
1930s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Bronze
1840s English George IV Antique Bookends
Steel
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Onyx, Brass
1870s American American Empire Antique Bookends
Iron
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal, Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Glass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Cast Stone
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Bookends
Steel
20th Century Bookends
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Bookends
Stone
20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Bookends
Marble
Late 20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Steel, Chrome
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.