Bookends
Mid-20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Bookends
Porcelain
2010s American Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Terracotta
20th Century Chinese Bookends
Jade, Brass
2010s Italian Modern Bookends
Limestone, Stone
2010s Italian Modern Bookends
Limestone, Stone
2010s Austrian Bookends
Brass
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Onyx, Stone, Metal
20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Plaster
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Stone
Late 20th Century Hollywood Regency Bookends
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Ceramic, Walnut
1930s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Bronze
20th Century Korean Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
Mid-19th Century Portuguese Other Antique Bookends
Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Bookends
Bronze
1960s European Belle Époque Vintage Bookends
Hardwood
Late 20th Century Moorish Bookends
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Brazilian Organic Modern Bookends
Agate, Onyx
1950s British Hollywood Regency Vintage Bookends
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookends
Steel
1920s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Bookends
Ceramic, Pottery, Terracotta
1950s Italian Classical Roman Vintage Bookends
Alabaster
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Alabaster
Late 20th Century German Post-Modern Bookends
Porcelain
1930s Japanese Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Bookends
Marble, Bronze
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
1980s Philippine Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Stone, Travertine
1960s Italian Vintage Bookends
Alabaster
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern 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.