Bookends
20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Silver Plate
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
1970s Spanish Hollywood Regency Vintage Bookends
Silver Plate
2010s Bookends
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Scandinavian Modern Bookends
Concrete
1970s French Modern Vintage Bookends
Onyx
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Onyx, Spelter
Early 20th Century French Bookends
Silk, Damask
20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Bookends
Wood
2010s Bookends
Brass
1970s Indian Anglo-Indian Vintage Bookends
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Bookends
Travertine
Late 20th Century European 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.