Desk Accessories
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
2010s Italian Desk Accessories
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary British Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Late 20th Century British Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Copper, Brass
2010s Italian Desk Accessories
Steel
2010s Italian Desk Accessories
Steel
1930s Danish Bauhaus Vintage Desk Accessories
Iron
2010s American Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Aluminum
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Cedar
Early 1900s American Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 20th Century British Desk Accessories
Nickel
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
1850s Italian Grand Tour Antique Desk Accessories
Belgian Black Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
1970s European Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 2000s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Metal
1890s French Antique Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 2000s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Crystal, Metal
1880s French Louis XV Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Agate
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
2010s Australian Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 20th Century English Desk Accessories
Oak
Early 20th Century French Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 20th Century Danish Art Deco Desk Accessories
Pewter
19th Century American Antique Desk Accessories
Iron
Early 20th Century Swiss Vienna Secession Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Desk Accessories
Brass
2010s Australian Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Aluminum, Brass, Bronze
1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Desk Accessories
Art Glass
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Desk Accessories
Metal, Sterling Silver, Enamel
19th Century Rococo Antique Desk Accessories
Malachite, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Thai Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Walnut
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Iron
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal, Chrome
1990s Italian Desk Accessories
Silver, Sterling Silver
1980s Japanese Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
1960s Italian Vintage Desk Accessories
Steel
19th Century British Georgian Antique Desk Accessories
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Murrine, Wood, Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso
2010s Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Stone, Slate
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal, Chrome
2010s Spanish Modern Desk Accessories
Stone, Slate
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Murano Glass
1980s Japanese Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Mid-20th Century Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century European Gothic Revival Antique Desk Accessories
Brass, Bronze
1930s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Desk Accessories
Crystal
Late 19th Century French French Provincial Antique Desk Accessories
Onyx, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Organic Modern Desk Accessories
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Modern Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 1900s Italian Rococo Antique Desk Accessories
Wood
1980s Japanese Vintage Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Desk Accessories
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Desk Accessories
Brass, Bronze
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Brass
Antique, New and Vintage Desk Accessories
Whether you’ve carved out a space for a nifty home office or you prefer the morning commute, why not dress up your desk with antique and vintage desk accessories? To best tiptoe the line between desk efficiency and desk enjoyment, we suggest adding a touch of the past to your modern-day space.
Desks are a funny thing. Their basic premise has remained the same for quite literally centuries: a flat surface, oftentimes a drawer, and potentially a shelf or two. However, the contents that lay upon the desk? Well, the evolution has been drastic to say the least.
Thank the Victorians for the initial popularity of the paperweight. The Industrial Revolution offered the novel concept of leisure-time to Europeans, giving them more time to take part in the then crucial activity of letter writing. Decorative glass paperweight designs were all the rage, and during the mid-19th-century some of the most popular makers included the French companies of Baccarat, St. Louis and Clichy.
As paper was exceedingly expensive in the early to mid-19th-century, every effort was made to utilize a full sheet of it. Paper knives, which gave way to the modern letter opener, were helpful for cutting paper down to an appropriate size.
Books — those bound volumes of paper, you may recall — used to be common occurrences on desks of yore and where there were books there needed to be bookends. As a luxury item, bookend designs have run the gamut from incorporating ultra-luxurious materials (think marble and Murano glass) to being whimsical desk accompaniments (animal figurines were highly popular choices).
Though the inkwell’s extinction was ushered in by the advent of the ballpoint pen (itself quasi-obsolete at this point), there is still significant charm to be had from placing one of these bauble-like objets in a central spot on one’s desk. You may be surprised to discover the mood-boosting powers an antique — and purposefully empty — inkwell can provide.
The clamor for desk clocks arose as the Industrial Revolution transitioned labor from outdoors to indoors, and allowed for the mass-production of clock parts in factories. Naturally, elaborate designs soon followed and clocks could be found made by artisans and luxury houses like Cartier.
Find antique and vintage desk accessories today on 1stDibs.