Bookends
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Oak
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Bookends
Alabaster
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Murano Glass
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Copper, Steel, Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Leather, Wood
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Bookends
Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Pewter
1870s French Napoleon III Antique Bookends
Gold, Bronze
1950s Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Wood
Late 20th Century British Modern Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Bookends
Stone
1980s American Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Quartz, Bronze
1990s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Bookends
Bronze
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Oak, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Bookends
Lucite
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Bookends
Wood
1940s Vintage Bookends
Plaster
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
1920s Vintage Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Bookends
Granite, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Rock Crystal
Early 20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
20th Century American Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Onyx
1880s English Victorian Antique Bookends
Leather
20th Century American American Classical Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Bookends
Plastic, Paint
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Glass, Art Glass
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Crystal
1870s English Victorian Antique Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Bookends
Leather
2010s American Post-Modern Bookends
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Iron
1970s Italian Egyptian Revival Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Stainless Steel
20th Century Chinese Bookends
Jade, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary German Post-Modern Bookends
Onyx
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1960s Chinese Chinoiserie Vintage Bookends
Stone
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Bookends
Resin
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Oak
Late 20th Century Portuguese Bookends
Porcelain
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Alabaster
1930s French French Provincial Vintage Bookends
Faience
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.