Bookends
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Bronze, Chrome
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Bronze
1910s American Prairie School Vintage Bookends
Terracotta
20th Century Modern Bookends
Art Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Alabaster
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Alabaster
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Stone, Marble, Metal, Bronze, Copper
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century Balinese Folk Art Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Bookends
Marble, Onyx
Mid-20th Century Mexican Tribal Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
20th Century Unknown Tribal Bookends
Marble
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Wood, Cocobolo
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary German Post-Modern Bookends
Onyx
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Teak
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Ceramic
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Breccia Marble, Spelter
Late 19th Century European Art Nouveau Antique Bookends
Metal
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Bronze
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Bronze
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Felt, Petrified Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Chrome
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Silver Plate
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Acrylic
20th Century Brutalist Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Iron
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Bookends
Coral
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Belgian Black Marble, Metal
20th Century Italian Modern Bookends
Murano Glass
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Bookends
Bronze
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
Late 20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Onyx
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Stone, Marble
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Bookends
Wood
Late 19th Century Indian Late Victorian Antique Bookends
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Bookends
Metal
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
20th Century South American Bookends
Amethyst
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Bookends
Hardwood
20th Century Unknown American Classical Bookends
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Chrome
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Cement
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Bookends
Metal
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.