Bookends
Mid-20th Century African Folk Art Bookends
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Wood, Ebony
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Steel
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Lucite
Late 19th Century Chinese Late Victorian Antique Bookends
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Felt, Petrified Wood
Late 19th Century Indian Late Victorian Antique Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Bookends
Gold
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Bookends
Metal
Late 19th Century British Antique Bookends
Ebony
Mid-20th Century American American Craftsman Bookends
Brass
Late 19th Century Art Nouveau Antique Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Bookends
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Chinese Bookends
Brass, Enamel
1960s Vintage Bookends
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Bookends
Bronze, Copper
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Spelter
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Copper
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Lucite
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Lucite
Mid-20th Century Korean Bookends
Brass
20th Century Bookends
Iron
1980s Unknown Other Vintage Bookends
Plaster, Paint
1880s English Victorian Antique Bookends
Leather
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookends
Plastic
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Bronze
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Wood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Ceramic, Pottery
20th Century Unknown Folk Art Bookends
Metal
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Iron
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Iron
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Walnut
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Uranium Glass, Glass, Sommerso, Murano Glass, Blown Glass, Art Glass
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Bookends
Hardwood
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Travertine
20th Century French Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Enamel
Late 20th Century Organic Modern Bookends
Quartz
Early 20th Century American Craftsman Bookends
Iron
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Lucite, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Cocobolo
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Bookends
Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century American Modern Bookends
Resin
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.