Bookends
1950s German American Craftsman Vintage Bookends
Brass
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass, Chrome
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Chrome, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Bookends
Plaster
1970s Italian Brutalist Vintage Bookends
Travertine
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Bookends
Agate
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Bookends
Metal
15th Century and Earlier American Mid-Century Modern Antique Bookends
Rock Crystal
15th Century and Earlier American Mid-Century Modern Antique Bookends
Rock Crystal
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Bronze
1970s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Oak
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Bookends
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Expressionist Bookends
Paper
Mid-20th Century Mexican Tribal Bookends
Marble
1960s Vintage Bookends
Iron
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Onyx, Marble
Mid-20th Century American American Craftsman Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Metal
1920s Vintage Bookends
Metal
2010s Austrian Bookends
Brass
19th Century European Baroque Antique Bookends
Wood
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Bookends
Hardwood
Early 20th Century British Art Deco Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century Maltese Neoclassical Revival Bookends
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Wood
2010s Bookends
Brass
20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Bookends
Metal
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
1990s Modern Bookends
Steel
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Silver Plate
1940s French Vintage Bookends
Metal
Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Bookends
Bronze
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Bronze
2010s Austrian Bookends
Brass
2010s Colombian Other Bookends
Stone
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
1960s Vintage Bookends
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Iron
1930s Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Stone, Marble
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Chrome
Late 19th Century Chinese Late Victorian Antique Bookends
Marble
1970s European Anglo-Indian Vintage Bookends
Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Bookends
Marble, Metal
1920s Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Onyx, Bronze
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Stone, Marble
1970s British Vintage Bookends
Leather
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Bookends
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
20th Century English Bookends
Leather
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.