About Bookends

Bookends had practical beginnings. They kept books from falling off tall shelves and onto your head. Nowadays we have bookshelves with sides on them so bookends have become more a way of keeping the shelved books tidy and for decoration.
The bookends may have some relevance to the subject matter of the books they surround, or may have some significant or personal meaning to the collector. People that love bookends also love books so cross collecting happens a lot in this field.

Book ends can be found in but are certainly not limited to, these themes:

Animals, dog, cat, bear and bull, fish, and mythical animals like centaur and minotaur
Traditional themes such as works of art like Rodin's The Thinker, art deco geometric and art nouveau nudes and figures
Professional themes, A lawyer might like the scales of justice or a doctor might enjoy the look of caduceus.
Sports, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer or futbol, the list of sports goes on and on!
Children's, cartoons, animals, bold geometric in primary colors, numbers or letters, favorite characters, clowns
Hunting, dogs, guns, deer or other wild animals
Globes, of the earth, moon, or any other planet
Nautical, ships, anchors, figureheads, dolphins
Western, Horses, cowboys, boots, cattle, wagons, guns, saddles and tack

Bookends can be made of a variety of materials, Poly-resin, marble, wood, brass, glass, stone, cast iron, aluminum, bronze.
So, you see, while bookends had humble and practical beginnings, they have achieved lofty heights as a means of home decor.

Who knows what the future of bookends might be?

Photo and Text by ME!!