Malachite Placemats
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Resin
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s American Tableware
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Colombian Tableware
Natural Fiber
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Resin
Mid-20th Century North American Hollywood Regency Platters and Serveware
Gold Leaf
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2010s Italian Modern Table Lamps
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
Plexiglass, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Photographic Film
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Vintage 1980s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Walnut
Early 20th Century Art Deco Abstract Sculptures
Malachite
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Brass
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Ceramic, Wood
Vintage 1970s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Music Stands
Chrome
Antique 19th Century European Neoclassical Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Wood
Antique 19th Century Belgian Gothic Revival Windows
Art Glass, Stained Glass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Aluminum
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.
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