Bookends
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Plaster
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal, Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Wood, Paper
1940s American Industrial Vintage Bookends
Bronze
1960s American Brutalist Vintage Bookends
Granite
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Bronze
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Country Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Glass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Spanish Medieval Bookends
Alabaster, Marble
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Spelter
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Uranium Glass, Glass, Sommerso, Murano Glass, Blown Glass, Art Glass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1980s Vintage Bookends
Iron
1940s Vintage Bookends
Metal
1970s Primitive Vintage Bookends
Wood
1980s Unknown International Style Vintage Bookends
Rose Quartz
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Chrome
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Asian Bookends
Hardwood
1980s German American Craftsman Vintage Bookends
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Italian Bookends
Brass
1950s American Modern Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Lucite
Mid-20th Century Unknown Bookends
Ceramic
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Copper
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Cocobolo
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass, Copper
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Onyx
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1970s Italian Classical Roman Vintage Bookends
Marble
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Canadian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Softwood
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Brass
1930s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century North American Bookends
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Metal
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Asian Bookends
Pine
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Aluminum
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Travertine
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1950s German American Craftsman Vintage Bookends
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Aluminum
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.