Bookends
Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Bookends
Metal
2010s Bookends
Gold, Enamel
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Alabaster
Mid-19th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Bookends
Gesso, Softwood, Giltwood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Ceramic, Pottery
20th Century Italian Art Deco Bookends
Marble
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Ceramic, Pottery
1910s German Art Nouveau Vintage Bookends
Metal
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
Brass, Copper
1920s French Vintage Bookends
Marble, Brass, Spelter
Mid-20th Century Italian Bookends
Marble
Late 19th Century Chinese Late Victorian Antique Bookends
Wood
1920s Organic Modern Vintage Bookends
Amethyst
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Art Glass
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Marble
2010s Bookends
Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Bookends
Resin
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Stone, Brass
2010s Bookends
Earthenware
2010s Bookends
Earthenware
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Zinc
20th Century Indian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Metal, Iron
Mid-20th Century American Bookends
Plaster
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Bronze
2010s Bookends
Marble
Early 20th Century American Bookends
Brass
Early 20th Century North American Art Nouveau Bookends
Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century Unknown Industrial Bookends
Bronze
2010s Bookends
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century British Bookends
Oak
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Silver Plate
20th Century Bookends
Steel
2010s Bookends
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Steel
2010s Bookends
Marble
1940s French Vintage Bookends
Earthenware
20th Century Korean Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
Late 20th Century American Modern Bookends
Glass
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Crystal
2010s Bookends
Sandstone
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Bookends
Metal
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Bookends
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Brass
Late 20th Century Organic Modern Bookends
Quartz
Early 20th Century American Bookends
Metal
1960s Israeli Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bookends
Brass
20th Century Unknown Other Bookends
Wood
2010s Bookends
Sandstone
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Bookends
Marble, Spelter
Late 20th Century American Hollywood Regency Bookends
Brass
15th Century and Earlier American Mid-Century Modern Antique Bookends
Rock Crystal
Late 19th Century Canadian Régence Antique Bookends
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Bookends
Travertine
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Bookends
Marble, Metal
1990s North American Post-Modern Bookends
Lucite
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.