Tea Sets
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Tea Sets
Gold Leaf
1940s Mexican Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Bakelite
1980s European Vintage Tea Sets
Metal
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Serpentine, Silver Plate, Brass
Late 20th Century Japanese Victorian Tea Sets
Ceramic
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Bone
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Tea Sets
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Silver, Silver Plate
Early 1800s English Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century American Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century French Tea Sets
Porcelain, Paint
Late 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain, Raffia
1980s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 1900s French Neoclassical Revival Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Baroque Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Spanish Tea Sets
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1910s Danish Empire Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Tea Sets
Copper
Mid-20th Century English Victorian Tea Sets
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Tea Sets
Ceramic, Pottery
Early 2000s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 19th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century German Post-Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s Japanese Vintage Tea Sets
Iron
Mid-20th Century Japanese Art Deco Tea Sets
Ceramic
1930s English Edwardian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Austrian High Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic, Porcelain
Early 20th Century Edwardian Tea Sets
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Pewter
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 19th Century British Antique Tea Sets
Stoneware
1810s English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s Unknown Art Nouveau Vintage Tea Sets
Agate, Metal, Brass
1970s German Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Earthenware, Pottery
Early 1800s English High Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1860s American American Empire Antique Tea Sets
Silver
1980s French Empire Vintage Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1980s Vintage Tea Sets
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Classical Greek Tea Sets
Gold
Late 20th Century German Post-Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Tea Sets
Gold
2010s Italian Baroque Tea Sets
Ceramic
1910s American Classical Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Tea Sets
Silver
Antique, New and Vintage Tea Sets
Ready to serve high tea and brunch for your family and friends? Start with the right antique, new or vintage tea set.
Tea is a multicultural, multinational beverage and isn’t confined to any particular lifestyle or age group. It has humble beginnings, and one of its best-known origin stories places the first cups of tea in 2700 B.C. in China, where it was recognized for its medicinal properties. Jump ahead to 17th-century England, when Chinese tea began to arrive at ports in London. During the early 1800s, tea became widely affordable, and the concept of teatime took shape all over England. Today, more than 150 million people reportedly drink tea daily in the United States.
Early tea drinkers enjoyed their beverage in a bowl, and English potters eventually added a handle to the porcelain bowls so that burning your fingers became less of a teatime hazard. With the rise in the popularity of teatime, tea sets, also referred to as tea service, became a hot commodity.
During Queen Victoria’s reign, teakettles and coffeepots were added to tea services that were quite large — indeed, small baked goods were served with your drink back then, and a tea set could include many teacups and saucers, a milk pot and other accessories.
During the early 1920s, a sterling-silver full tea service and tray designed by Tiffany & Co. might include a hot-water kettle on a stand, a coffeepot, teapot, a creamer with a small lip spout, a waste bowl and a bowl for sugar, which the British were stirring into tea as early as the 18th century.
But you don’t have to limit your tea set to Victorian or Art Deco styles — shake up teatime with an artful contemporary service. If the bold porcelain cups and saucers by Italian brand Seletti are too unconventional for your otherwise subdued tea circle, find antique services on 1stDibs from Japan, France and other locales as well as vintage mid-century modern tea sets and neoclassical designs.