Bookends
20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Metal
Early 1900s Czech Art Nouveau Antique Bookends
Art Glass
20th Century American Neoclassical Revival Bookends
Plaster
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Bronze
1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Iron, Steel
Mid-20th Century African Tribal Bookends
Wood, Ebony
1930s Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Soapstone
1980s American Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Bookends
Porcelain
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Onyx
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
Early 1900s English Folk Art Antique Bookends
Stone
2010s Italian Bookends
Marble, Iron
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Carrara Marble, Spelter
2010s Japanese Post-Modern Bookends
Metal, Stainless Steel
19th Century North American Georgian Antique Bookends
Leather
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Metal
Early 1900s English Folk Art Antique Bookends
Stone
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Metal
2010s American Post-Modern Bookends
Crystal, Brass
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Wood
1950s Vintage Bookends
Brass
2010s Turkish Classical Greek Bookends
Statuary Marble
Early 20th Century French Greco Roman Bookends
Bronze
Early 20th Century Bookends
Bronze
20th Century Chinese Bookends
Jade, Brass
20th Century Unknown Other Bookends
Wood
1930s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Nutwood
20th Century American Bookends
Ormolu
2010s Italian Bookends
Marble, Iron
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century Bookends
Lucite
Mid-20th Century Italian Bookends
Alabaster
Late 19th Century Canadian Régence Antique Bookends
Wood
Early 1900s English Folk Art Antique Bookends
Stone
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Brass, Enamel
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Travertine
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s English Folk Art Antique Bookends
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookends
Plastic
2010s Indian Modern Bookends
Brass
20th Century Bookends
Metal
Late 20th Century Malaysian Neoclassical Bookends
Wood
2010s Austrian Bookends
Brass
19th Century English Antique Bookends
Paper
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Bookends
Metal
Early 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Bronze
20th Century British Bookends
Leather
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal, Brass
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Bronze
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.