Malachite Placemats
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Colombian Tableware
Natural Fiber
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s American Tableware
Resin
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Resin
Mid-20th Century North American Hollywood Regency Platters and Serveware
Gold Leaf
People Also Browsed
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern More Dining and Entertaining
Glass
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary American Bohemian Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Wood, Fabric, Linen, Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights an...
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Chairs
Rattan
Vintage 1930s Spanish Art Deco Barware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Side Chairs
Wicker, Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
2010s American Modern Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Side Chairs
Rattan
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Egyptian Egyptian Figurative Sculptures
Limestone
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Armchairs
Wicker, Rattan
Finding the Right Tableware for You
While it isn’t always top of mind for some, antique and vintage tableware can enhance even the most informal meal. It has been an intimate part of how we’ve interacted with our food for millennia.
Tableware has played a basic but important role in everyday life. Ancient Egyptians used spoons (which are classified as flatware) made of ivory and wood, while Greeks and Romans, who gathered for banquets involving big meals and entertainment, ate with forks and knives. At the beginning of the 17th century, however, forks were still uncommon in American homes. Over time, tableware has thankfully evolved and today includes increasingly valuable implements.
Tableware refers to the tools people use to set the table, including serving pieces, dinner plates and more. It encompasses everything from the intricate and elaborate to the austere and functional, yet are all what industrial product designer Jasper Morrison might call “Super Normal” — anonymous objects that are too useful to be considered banal.
There are four general categories of tableware — serveware, dinnerware, drinkware and, lastly, flatware, which is commonly referred to as silverware or cutlery. Serveware includes serving bowls, platters, gravy boats, casserole pans and ladles. Most tableware is practical, but it can also be decorative. And decorative objects count as tableware too. Even though they don’t fit squarely into one of the four categories, vases, statues and floral arrangements are traditional centerpieces.
Drinkware appropriately refers to the vessels we use for our beverages — mugs, cups and glasses. There is a good deal of variety that falls under this broad term. For example, your cheerful home bar or mid-century modern bar cart might be outfitted with a full range of vintage barware, which might include pilsner glasses and tumblers. Specialty cocktails are often served in these custom glasses, but they’re still a type of drinkware.
Every meal should be special — even if you’re using earthenware or stoneware for a casual lunch — but perhaps you’re hosting a dinner party to mark a specific event. The right high-quality tableware can bring a touch of luxury to your cuisine. Young couples, for example, traditionally add “fine china,” or porcelain, to their wedding registry as a commemoration of their union and likely wouldn’t turn down exquisite silver made by Tiffany & Co. or Georg Jensen.
It’s important to remember, however, that when you’re setting the dining room table to have fun with it. Just as you might mix and match your dining chairs, don’t be afraid to mix new and old or high and low with your tableware. On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage and antique tableware to help elevate your meal as well as the mood and atmosphere of your entire dining room.
Read More
How a Craving for Color Revolutionized Glass
After synthetic dyes changed fashion, home goods and printed matter, it was only a matter of time till glass caught up.
1882 Ltd. Looks to the Future of Ceramics in the U.K. with an Eclectic Exhibition and Auction
Faye Toogood and John Pawson are among the list of plate designers.
20 Inviting Dining Rooms Perfectly Arranged for Entertaining
Top interior designers show — and tell — us how to create delectable spaces for hosting dinner parties.
Paul Revere Crafted This Silver Coffee Pot 250 Years Ago
Perhaps best known as a Revolutionary War hero, Revere was also an accomplished silversmith, and this pot is now available on 1stDibs.
From Arne Jacobsen to Zaha Hadid, Top Designers Tackle Tableware
Clever objects like these make feasting even more festive.
How the Chunky, Funky Ceramics of 5 Mid-Century American Artists Balanced Out Slick Modernism
Get to know the innovators behind the pottery countercultural revolution.
Ready for a Cinderella Moment? This Glass Handbag Is a Perfect Fit
Glass slippers might be the stuff of fairytales, but glass handbags? Artist Joshua Raiffe has made them a reality, and they're far less delicate than you might imagine, but just as dreamy.
With Dansk, Jens Quistgaard Delivered Danish Simplicity to American Tables
When a visionary Copenhagen designer teamed up with an enterprising Long Island couple, Scandi-style magic landed in kitchens and dining rooms across the United States.