Bookends
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Bookends
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Bookends
Metal
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Modern Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Pewter
1950s Taiwanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1960s Vintage Bookends
Marble
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Alabaster
Mid-20th Century American Other Bookends
Brass
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1960s Hollywood Regency Vintage Bookends
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Other Bookends
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century English British Colonial Bookends
Bronze, Copper
Mid-20th Century Organic Modern Bookends
Alabaster
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Belgian Black Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century Swiss Expressionist Bookends
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Ceramic, Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Wood
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century American Modern Bookends
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century Modern Bookends
Copper
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Plastic
1960s Italian Vintage Bookends
Onyx
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Iron
Mid-20th Century North American Regency Bookends
Brass
1950s Austrian Vintage Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Quartz, Copper
Mid-20th Century American Colonial Bookends
Brass
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bookends
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Bookends
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Glass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Industrial Bookends
Metal, Stainless Steel
1960s Vintage Bookends
Marble, Brass
1950s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, 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.