The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

Finding the Right platters-serveware for You

The antique and vintage serveware on 1stDibs includes serving bowls, platters, tureens and more — everything you need to serve the delicious meal you prepared for guests, whether it’s an intimate dinner or a family event.

When hosting dinner parties for company or the holidays, the kind of serveware you put to use is obviously going to be integral to the whole experience. And there are tricks and tips out there for setting the modern table too. But between meals, the serveware and other tableware you’ve collected over the years to show off in a display cabinet in your dining room will also be integral to your decor, ensuring an air of elegance is part of your gatherings.

Whether you are hosting a formal dinner party or a more relaxed cocktail affair, you should have plenty of food on hand for people to snack on.

“Everybody loves a cheese plate, and it’s so easy to assemble,” explains Athena Calderone, the talent behind the popular lifestyle blog EyeSwoon. “I start with a few favorite cheeses, and then I like to add figs or a sweet chutney, charcuterie and olives. Just something to nibble on.”

The right serveware lends sophistication to any space, whether your favorite porcelain or glassware is on the dining table or in a classic hutch against the wall. No matter the medium, there’s serveware to complement all manner of furniture styles and design preferences. Serveware can be a means of personal expression, and certain pieces and designs over the years have become coveted collector’s pieces to be displayed as art themselves.

Browse the extensive collection of antique and vintage serveware on 1stDibs.