Bookends
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Bookends
Carrara Marble
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Resin
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Iron
1990s American Modern Bookends
Onyx
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Bookends
Metal, Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal, Brass, Chrome
20th Century Italian Post-Modern Bookends
Alabaster
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Bookends
Iron
20th Century European Bookends
Copper
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Copper
20th Century American Modern Bookends
Brass
1980s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Crystal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Brass
1970s Vietnamese Vintage Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Modern Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Bookends
Brass
20th Century South American Bookends
Amethyst
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Brass
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Teak
Early 20th Century Unknown Victorian Bookends
Wood
20th Century French Bookends
Bronze
1980s French Modern Vintage Bookends
Granite, Stone, Metal, Chrome
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Oak
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Lucite
Early 20th Century American Modern Bookends
Resin
20th Century Bookends
Horn
20th Century Italian Organic Modern Bookends
Carrara Marble
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Porcelain
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Spelter
1970s British Vintage Bookends
Leather
Mid-20th Century Asian Bookends
Hardwood
1970s American Brutalist Vintage Bookends
Sheet Metal
20th Century Bookends
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Art Glass
Late 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Space Age Bookends
Plastic
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Brass
20th Century Folk Art Bookends
Alabaster
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
1920s British Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Bookends
Wood
1970s European Anglo-Indian Vintage Bookends
Wood
1970s American Vintage Bookends
Carrara Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Bookends
Plastic, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Iron
Late 20th Century American Bookends
Bronze
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Bronze
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Travertine, Marble
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, 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.