Bookends
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
1920s American Industrial Vintage Bookends
Iron
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Walnut
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Travertine
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Brass
2010s Turkish Classical Greek Bookends
Statuary Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Giltwood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Glass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble
20th Century Modern Bookends
Carrara Marble
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Metal
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Bronze
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Bookends
Bronze
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Metal
20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Metal
19th Century European Antique Bookends
Maple
20th Century Italian Medieval Bookends
Alabaster
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookends
Steel
1970s French Modern Vintage Bookends
Onyx
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
2010s Argentine Modern Bookends
Stone, Onyx, Metal
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Bookends
Leather
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Oak
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
1860s French Victorian Antique Bookends
Slate, Bronze
20th Century Korean Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century Asian Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
20th Century Bookends
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Wrought Iron
1930s Unknown Rustic Vintage Bookends
Iron
Late 20th Century American Industrial Bookends
Aluminum
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Bookends
Wood
20th Century Indian Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
1950s American Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Spelter
1910s American Other Vintage Bookends
Iron
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Metal
1850s Italian Grand Tour Antique Bookends
Plaster
Early 20th Century Industrial Bookends
Bronze
1950s British Hollywood Regency Vintage Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Brass
2010s Turkish Classical Greek Bookends
Statuary Marble
2010s Indian Modern Bookends
Brass
Late 19th Century Botswanan Tribal Antique Bookends
Ebony
2010s American Modern Bookends
Blown Glass
20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Bookends
Marble, Carrara Marble
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.