Used Flatware Sets
20th Century Tableware
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s Indonesian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Indian Hollywood Regency Tableware
Brass
Vintage 1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel, Other
Vintage 1930s Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century German Jugendstil Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1930s American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1940s North American Baroque Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s Italian Tableware
Vintage 1930s Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
20th Century Tableware
Silver Plate
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Sterling Silver
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1930s Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Silver
20th Century French Tableware
Silver Plate
20th Century Serving Pieces
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Antique 19th Century Tableware
Silver
Vintage 1960s Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Stainless Steel
Antique Late 19th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1930s Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
20th Century Mexican Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
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Used Flatware Sets For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Used Flatware Sets?
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.
- Is bronze flatware safe to use?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Bronze dishware is generally safe to use for eating and cooking, though it requires careful use. Additionally, bronze should not be used to store food over long periods of time.
- What is a cruet set used for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A cruet set is used to hold condiments. Most sets include one cruet for oil and another for vinegar. In addition, sets may provide salt and pepper shakers and pots or jars for condiments like mustard. Shop a selection of cruet sets on 1stDibs.
- What is a bar tool set used for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A bar tool set is a set of tools used to create cocktails and drinks. Whether you are a pro bartender or an amateur mixologist, these specialized tools help make it simple to craft delicious cocktails with ease. Shop a collection of bar tool sets on 1stDibs.
- Are silver tea sets safe to use?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Silver is a chemically non-reactive metal, so as long as the tea set is clean and has been properly cared for, it is safe to use. However, silver is an excellent conductor of heat, so be careful not to burn your lips or tongue whilst drinking tea. Shop a collection of authentic silver tea sets from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
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