Bookends
Mid-20th Century Italian Bookends
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Felt, Petrified Wood
1930s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
1970s Korean Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Mahogany
1980s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Brass
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Pottery
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Murano Glass
20th Century English Bookends
Leather
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Crystal
Late 20th Century Malaysian Neoclassical Bookends
Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Bookends
Bronze
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Brass, Enamel
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
Mid-20th Century Bookends
Lucite
20th Century Korean Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
1960s Vintage Bookends
Iron
Late 20th Century Italian Bookends
Leather
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Travertine
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Bookends
Oak, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Travertine
Mid-20th Century Maltese Neoclassical Revival Bookends
Brass
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Korean American Colonial Bookends
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Marble
20th Century American Other Bookends
Bronze
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Nutwood
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Late 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Metal, Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
20th Century Vietnamese Campaign Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Bookends
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Bookends
Pine
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Brass, Copper
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Cut Steel, Steel, Stainless Steel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bookends
Wood
Late 20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Alabaster
Mid-20th Century Canadian Brutalist Bookends
Brass, Steel
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble
Late 20th Century Bookends
Teak
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Spanish Bookends
Stone, Amethyst, Quartz
1910s American Prairie School Vintage Bookends
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Glass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
1970s Unknown Hollywood Regency Vintage Bookends
Marble, Brass
20th Century 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.