Bookends
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
20th Century Unknown Post-Modern Bookends
Marble
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Hardwood
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Bookends
Silver Plate, Brass
1970s Modern Vintage Bookends
Silver Plate, Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Bookends
Teak
1970s Dutch Hollywood Regency Vintage Bookends
Brass
Late 19th Century Swedish Other Antique Bookends
Birch
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Bookends
Lucite
Late 20th Century Italian Bookends
Teak
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Lucite
1970s Unknown Brutalist Vintage Bookends
Marble
Late 20th Century Spanish Bookends
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Copper
1920s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Bookends
Iron
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Bookends
Marble, Copper, Metal, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century Korean American Colonial Bookends
Brass
1920s British Arts and Crafts Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Walnut, Pottery
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Alabaster
1980s French Modern Vintage Bookends
Granite, Metal, Chrome
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Early 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Mexican Bookends
Marble
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Onyx, Stone, Metal
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Leather, Wood
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Late 20th Century Bookends
Leather
Late 20th Century French Bookends
Metal
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Onyx, Stone, Metal
Early 20th Century Art Deco Bookends
Bronze, Copper
2010s Austrian Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Bookends
Porcelain
2010s Bookends
Aluminum
2010s Italian Bookends
Stone
1990s Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Chrome
1870s English High Victorian Antique Bookends
Porcelain, Walnut
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
20th Century American Bookends
Marble, Bronze
15th Century and Earlier Unknown Organic Modern Antique Bookends
Petrified Wood
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Bookends
Steel
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Bronze
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
20th Century Irish Egyptian Bookends
Resin
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Pottery
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.