Desk Accessories
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Desk Accessories For Sale
Elegant Photo Frame Gold Plated and Onyx Black Flowers, Gratitude Noir
Located in Sarezzo, IT
Gratitude noir is a unique Italian picture frame with a delicate boho chic design created by Laura G, a masterpiece among the collectible photo fra...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Romantic Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
Vintage Austrian Art Deco Industrial Worker Bronze or Brass Letter Opener, 1930s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Vintage Solid Brass or Bronze Letter Opener, Austria, Art Deco / Industrial Brutalist Style
A striking vintage letter opener cast in solid brass or bronze and modeled as an industri...
Category
1930s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Vintage Austrian Art Nouveau Style Nude Girl Bronze or Brass Letter Opener 1950s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Vintage Solid Brass Nude Lady Letter Opener, Austria, Mid-20th Century
A striking vintage letter opener cast in solid brass and modeled as a reclining nude female figure. This decor...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Lovely Antique Grotto Shell Souvenir du Croisir Inkwell Art Nouveau
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This exquisite antique inkwell is a stunning example of Art Nouveau design, shaped like a grotto shell and inscribed with "Souvenir du Croisir," capturing the romantic essence of a b...
Category
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
Mid century modern Murano Glass Paperweight, 1960s
Located in Palermo, PA
This beautiful Murano glass paperweight features a beutiful design with air bubbles suspended within the glass. The bottom is made of deep blue glass, where the bubbles are carefully...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Murano Glass
Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, 1950s
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse cat figurine with thermometer, 1950s
Austrian desk thermometer, cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer.
Designed by Walter Bosse...
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Ruby Wedgwood Ordinary Lustre, Butterfly York Cup by Daisy Makeig-Jones, c1925
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Exquisite ruby Ordinary lustre york cup by Daisy Makeig Jones for Wedgwood, England.
The interior of this delightful piece has a vibrantly coloured butterfly on a pale green mother of pearl background, with gilded interior patterning.
Rich ruby red lustre mottled glaze, animated gilded butterflies...
Category
Early 20th Century British Art Deco Desk Accessories
Materials
Porcelain
Kodak Folding Brownie Six-20 with Kodette II Shutter
Meniscus Lens Made in UK
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Kodak Folding Brownie Six-20 with Kodette II Shutter
Meniscus Lens Made in Great Britain
Self-erecting folding rollfim camera, introduced to the market in 1948 and discontinue...
Category
1940s British Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
Carl Aubock Mid-Century Horn Desk Pen
Pencil Holder Cup, Austria, 1950s
Located in Vienna, AT
A decorative handmade desk pen and pencil cup holder from the 1950s. Designed and manufactured by Werkstätte Carl Aubock, workshop in Vienna / Austri...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Horn
Vintage Japanese Cast Iron Persimmon Suiteki Water Dropper
Located in Fairfield, CA
A vintage cast iron Japanese suiteki water dropper in the shape of a persimmon. Traditionally used for calligraphy or ink painting. Made in Japan, original sticker attached.
Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
Tiffany Studios New York Pine Needle Bronze Doré and Slag Glass Inkwell
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period gilt bronze and slag glass "Pine Needle" pattern inkwell
By Tiffany Studios (signed to the underside)
New York, USA, Early 20th Century
...
Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
Vintage Japanese Cast Iron Gourd Suiteki Water Dropper
Located in Fairfield, CA
A vintage cast iron suiteki water dropper in the shape of a gourd. Traditionally used for calligraphy or ink painting. Made in Japan, original sticker attached.
Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
Paperweight Corn Sculpture in Green Malachite Italian Marble, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Magnificent paperweight corn sculpture fully made in green Italian malachite. This stylish and unique piece was made in Italy during the 1970s.
In amazing conditions, the Malachite ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Malachite, Marble
Liberty Tudric Pewter Inkwell by Archibald Knox
Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB
Heading : Liberty Tudric pewter inkwell Archibald Knox c1905
Period : Edward VII
Origin : England
Decoration : Typical arts and crafts naturalistic lines throughout. Central blue-gre...
Category
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Pewter
Mid-Century Modern Textured Gold Frog Tape Dispenser
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Textured Gold Tone Metal Frog Tape Dispenser, 1960's
This vintage two piece tape dispenser is from Ted Arnold Ltd. The charming frog with green glass eyes is stamped on the inside l...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
1910 Sterling Silver Gimbal Table Lighter
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine, and impressive, antique George V English sterling silver gimbal table lighter; an addition to our smoking related silverware collection
This exceptional antique George V sterling silver table lighter has a globular form to a rounded composite handle.
The surface of the piece is plain and embellished with the contemporary bright cut engraved initial 'H' beneath a Baron's coronet.
The center of this antique silver table lighter...
Category
1910s English Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Agate, Sterling Silver
French Empire Bronze of a Woman
Located in New York, NY
This Empire ormolu head of a woman was made as a furniture mount in France around 1810, and probably adorned a bed. In any case, closer to our own time, it was deemed worthy of mount...
Category
Early 1800s French Neoclassical Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
Rare black Forest rooster inkwell 19th century Swiss glass eyes hand carved
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Gorgeous most rare Swiss Black Forest 19th century Inkwell / desk accessory fully hand carved displaying a dog wearing a hat and monocle.
Detailed carving by a master carver. Comes w...
Category
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass, Wood
Persian Brass Inkwell Qalamdan with Arabic Calligraphy Writing
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
A 19th century brass decorated Islamic Persian Qalamdan.The Qalamdan is in solid brass, decorated on all sides with Arabic calligraphy writing.It consists of an inkwell and a pen compartment of typical tubular form with an interior cavity to store a reed pen.Attached to the body is an inkwell with engraved Moorish designs with a shell style cover.An antique Turkish Brass...
Category
19th Century Moorish Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Contemporary Picture Frame Handmade Blue Crystal, Brass and Gold by Ghirò Studio
By Ghirò Studio
Located in Pieve Emanuele, Milano
Crystal photo frame of excellent craftsmanship and artistic quality.
The crystal has been hand sculpted and has an intense and brilliant blue fi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold, Brass
Handmade Big Paperweight with Sphere Shape in Portoro Marble
By Fiammetta V.
Located in Carrara, IT
Paperweight with sphere shape in Portoro marble. Measure: Diameter 12 cm
Each piece is in a way unique (since each marble block is different in veins and shades) and handcrafted in ...
Category
2010s Italian Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Black Forest inkwell cat in boot Swiss Antique 19th Century hand carved glass
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Gorgeous most rare Swiss Black Forest 19th century Inkwell / desk accessory fully hand carved displaying a cat in a boot.
The cat is very detailed with glass eyes, a perfect charm lo...
Category
Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass, Wood
Vintage Full Crystal Photo Frame from Lindshammar Sweden, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
An ovale picture frame made from clear partially textured full crystal. Designed at and manufactured by Lindshammar in Sweden. The removable stickers to its front reads: Full crystal...
Category
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Crystal
$168 Sale Price
42% Off
20th Century French Pair of Wooden Bookstands in Clogs Shape
Located in Sofia, BG
Very stabile pair of wooden handmade book stands with nice decoration.
France, circa 1920.
Category
Early 20th Century French Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
Handmade Decorative Medium Egg with Base in Paonazzo Marble
By Fiammetta V.
Located in Carrara, IT
Decorative full medium egg in Paonazzo marble (base included). Each piece is in a way unique (every marble block is different in veins and shades) and handmade by Italian artisans sp...
Category
2010s Italian Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
19th Century Murano Glass Paperweight - Pen Holder
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
Beautiful antique paperweight, handmade from multi colored glass, in the shape of a rooster. On top a small vase, probably intended to hold a pen. ...
Category
1870s Italian Belle Époque Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Blown Glass, Art Glass
English Silver Dressing Table Hand Mirror with Silver Piqué Swag Decor
Located in Atlanta, GA
An English silver dressing table hand mirror from the 20th century with silver piqué decor of swags, oval medallion and foliage. Born in England during the 20th century, this exquisi...
Category
20th Century English Desk Accessories
Materials
Silver
Tiffany Studios New York Chinese Pattern Bronze Stamp Box
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period bronze "Chinese" pattern desk box, jewelry box, or decorative box
By Tiffany Studios (signed to the underside)
New York, USA, Ea...
Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
French Art Deco Bronze Claw
Quill Letter Opener, Rare Bronze Letter Opener
Located in Miami, FL
Art Deco Bronze Claw
Quill Letter Opener – France, circa 1920s–30s
An exceptional and imaginative French Art Deco bronze letter opener, cast in the form of a bird's talon gras...
Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
$980 Sale Price
30% Off
Set of 2 Tray and Letter Opener by Steve McGugan for Royal Copenhagen, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern Danish Wave Series Desk Tray and Letter Opener by Steve McGugan for Royal Copenhagen, 1980s, Set of 2, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989. This piece has an at...
Category
20th Century Danish Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
Tiffany Studios New York Venetian Bronze Doré Pen Tray
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period gilt bronze pen tray in the Venetian design
By Tiffany Studios (signed to the underside)
New York, USA, Early 20th Century
Meas...
Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
Heintz Arts
Crafts Sterling Silver on Bronze Box
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period sterling silver on bronze desk box, jewelry box, or decorative box
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
USA, Early 20th Century
Measures: 3...
Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze, Sterling Silver
Historical American Civil War Era Wire Frame Magnifying Eye Glass Spectacles
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A delicate pair of handmade magnifying wire rim eye glasses from the American Civil War era, circa 1860.
A great looking historical conversation p...
Category
Mid-19th Century American American Classical Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
Tiffany Studios New York "Zodiac" Bronze Match Box Holder
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Art Deco period bronze match box holder featuring symbols of the Zodiac
By Tiffany Studios
New York, USA, Early 20th Century
Measures: 4...
Category
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
Silver fountain pen in the shape of a feather with reliefs
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Silver fountain pen in the shape of a feather with reliefs. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: boar II Title. Weight: 38.74 grams. Dimensions: 22.5cmx2.6cm. Conte...
Category
19th Century European Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Silver
$300 Sale Price
50% Off
Rare Adjustable Wrought Iron Desk or Piano Lamp Amsterdamse School, ca. 1910s
Located in Lisse, NL
* Kindly note that we arrange the shipping ourselves to ensure a smooth, secure, and reliable delivery. This allows us to provide the best possible service and care for your purchase.
Adjustable wrought iron desk lamp with counterweight, Dutch expressionist ca. 1920.
A rare architectural gem from the golden era of Dutch design. This adjustable wrought iron table or piano lamp, dating from the early 1920s, is an exceptional example of the Amsterdamse School movement, famed for its expressive forms, honest materials, and integration of function and sculpture.
Crafted entirely by hand, the lamp features a sophisticated three-position height adjustment system via a striking counterweight mechanism, a feat of engineering as elegant as it is utilitarian. The heavy forged iron frame displays bold geometric detailing and honest craftsmanship typical of the movement, with meticulous hammer marks and subtle asymmetry that celebrate the hand of the maker.
While unsigned, the design language speaks clearly to the school of Piet Kramer and the greater network of Amsterdamse School designers, whose influence extended into municipal buildings, interiors, and custom furnishings throughout the Netherlands in the 1910s and '20s. This is not just lighting, this is architecture in miniature.
The not original hide-like-fabric of the lamp shade is no longer in perfect condition, but it certainly still is good enough to use on this desk lamp. With this rare lamp you can create the perfect atmosphere on your desk or on any (side)table in your living room, (home) office or library / reading room.
If you like the uniqueness, the quality, the beauty, the workmanship, the condition and the deeper meaning of this sculptural table lamp as much as we do then you will love our price. Especially when taken into account that perfect packing and also worldwide delivery from our store to your door in just 4 to 5 days are complimentary.
Maximum height adjustable x width x depth: 14,5 till 21 x 5.7 x 13.5 inches.
*Styling Tips: Art Deco or Bauhaus furnishings as counterpoints.
Or let it stand solo, like a sculptural presence on a console or credenza.
We are driven by a passion for uniqueness, timeless, quality, stylish design, and the enduring craftsmanship of the past. Every purchase is carefully and thoughtfully packed — and we look forward to serving you (again).
To explore all our 1000+ listings, simply click the button labeled 'View All From Seller’.
Warm regards,
Henk and the Studio Team
Tags: Amsterdamse School lamp...
Category
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Materials
Wrought Iron
Crystal Ball Sphere with Chinoiserie Base
Located in New York, NY
A crystal ball decorative sphere decorative object with Chinoiserie wood base, circa late-20th century. A great piece for a shelf, cocktail table, credenza, etc. Very good condition ...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Desk Accessories
Materials
Crystal
Exquisite 1980s Murano Crystal Prism Lance Paperweight
Located in Manzano, IT
Exquisite 1980s Murano Crystal Prism Lance Paperweight
Elevate your décor with this stunning paperweight from the 1980s, an exceptional example of authentic Italian craftsmanship. H...
Category
1980s Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Crystal
$95 Sale Price
60% Off
Mid-Century Carved Golden Fluorite and Black Onyx Bowl with Foot
Located in Toronto, ON
This stunning mid-century bowl is an exquisite example of craftsmanship, carved from gold tone fluorite, and beautifully enhanced with a rim and base of natural black onyx. The rich,...
Category
1950s American Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Onyx
Art Deco Silvered Desk Set, Vienna, Around 1920s
Located in Wien, AT
Shovel and broom
The shovel is: H: 1cm W: 20cm D: 21cm
The Broom is: H: 4cm W: 5cm D: 28
Original condition.
Category
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Just Andersen - Letter-knife in Mint Condition - Original box - Art Deco, 1930
s
Located in Stockholm, SE
One of a kind letter knife made by Just Andersen, Denmark in the 1930's with the original box from the Jeweller that the knife were bought from.
Mint condition been laying in the bo...
Category
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Pewter
Carl Auböck Brass Hand Letter Opener Letter Knife #7208
Located in Vienna, AT
A minimalist but charming letter opener in the shape of a hand. Model number 7208, handmade of solid polished brass, designed by Werkstätte Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Fully stamped an...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #3310-4
Flat
Brass and Leather Table Bell
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #3310 Large Brass Bell with Leather Handle
Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly functional and sculptural bell is executed in polished brass with a rich brown le...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Cellier Stitched Leather Pen Holder in the Style of Jacques Adnet
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This nice pen holder is made of cellier stitched leather and glass. This is a French work in the Style of Jacques Adnet. Circa 1950
Category
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Leather, Glass
$650 Sale Price
20% Off
Blue Cobra Table Phone, Ericofon by LM Ericsson
Located in Vienna, AT
Vintage rotary dial mint green ericofone. This is the model Cobra. It is made of blue thermoplastic ABS
Designed in the 1950s in Sweden by Hugo Blomb...
Category
1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Steel
Green Malachite Porcelain Coffee Teacup Saucer, England
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful English white porcelain coffee or teacup and saucer with a green malachite design and gold detailing on edge. Made in England.
Category
Late 20th Century English Desk Accessories
Materials
Malachite
$260 Sale Price
20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Studio Craft Rosewood Jewelry Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century Modern studio craft rosewood jewelry box.
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Rosewood
Italian Postmodern Wall Perpetual Calendar by Della Beffa for Ring a Date, 2000s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian post modern wall perpetual green calendar by Giorgio Della Beffa for Ring A Date, 2000-2010s
Wall perpetual calendar in green plastic. The calend...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
Carl Auböck Paperknife #7209
Located in Berlin, DE
Brass paperknife #7209 by Carl Auböck.
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
$490 / item
Art Deco Silver Cigarette Case, 1930s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Art Deco Silver Cigarette Case.
Sterling silver.
Very good condition.
Category
1930s European Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Silver
$459 Sale Price
20% Off
French Peregrine Falcon Bird of Prey Bronze Inkwell, Circa 1880
Located in Newark, England
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING
Modelled as a Peregrine Falcon Bird of Prey
From our Decorative collection, we are pleased to offer this French Peregrine Falcon Bird of Prey Inkwell.
The...
Category
Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Thermometer, 1950s for Tables, Vienna, Around 1950s
Located in Wien, AT
Thermometer, 1950s for tables, Vienna, around 1950s.
Original condition.
Category
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Salta Round Bordeaux Onyx Stone Pair of Bookends
By AIREDELSUR
Located in Buenos Aires, AR
Salta province is called the beautiful, and this adjective introduces us to its profound beauty. Its fertile valleys, windy desert, colorful mountains and blue sky are the images tha...
Category
2010s Argentine Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Stone, Onyx, Metal
Antique paperweight in marble and embossed copper. United Kingdom 1890.
Located in Milan, IT
An antique English paperweight or paper press, in yellow Siena marble, rectangular in shape with a rectangular embossed and chased copper plaque depicting a group of horses in a stab...
Category
Late 19th Century British Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Siena Marble, Copper
Intricately Hand Carved, Vintage Asian Midcentury Heavy Wooden Square Printing
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Splendid intricately hand carved large heavyweight wooden square printing block from Asia
Traditionally used for hand held block printing ink or dye to textiles and paper
Fully fun...
Category
Mid-20th Century Indian Other Desk Accessories
Materials
Hardwood
Victorian Ebonized and Rosewood Looking Glass
Located in Spencertown, NY
The Turned Rosewood Handle and Rim with later ebonized interior edge.
Category
19th Century Great Britain (UK) Victorian Antique Desk Accessories
Materials
Rosewood
Signed Feliciano Bejar Green Cut Glass Sculpture, circa 1990
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Cut glass and brushed aluminum table sculpture by Feliciano Béjar (1920-2007), Mexico, 1990's.
His art sculptures dating from the 1960's through 1990's uses glass ground with either...
Category
Late 20th Century Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Stainless Steel
$1,512 Sale Price
79% Off
Tiffany Studios New York Adam Bronze Doré Pen Tray
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period gilt bronze Neoclassical or Adam style pen tray, desk tray, or ashtray
By Tiffany Studios (signed to the underside)
New York, US...
Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
Venini Bianconi Murano Blue White Zanfirico Italian Art Glass Fazzoletto Vase
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown dark blue, with light blue and white ribbons Italian art glass fazzoletto / handkerchief vase. The piece is documented to designer Fulvio Bianconi...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Barbini Murano Red Blue Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Bubble Design Paperweights
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Priced Per Item (3 different colors available).
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown red, blue and gold Italian art glass paperweights with bubble decoration. Documented to designer ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold Leaf
$240 Sale Price / item
20% Off
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.