Tableware
Late 19th Century German Antique Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century British Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French Tableware
Linen
19th Century English Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Tableware
Steel
1950s Industrial Vintage Tableware
Metal
20th Century French Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stoneware
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal, Silver Plate, Pewter
1930s Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Glass
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal, Brass
1990s Japanese Modern Tableware
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal, Brass, Enamel, Chrome
Early 2000s Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Modern Tableware
Crystal, Stainless Steel
2010s Modern Tableware
Crystal
Mid-19th Century Chinoiserie Antique Tableware
Ironstone
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
19th Century Seychellois Antique Tableware
Coconut
21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Steel, Stainless Steel
20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Hide, Leather
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Hide, Leather
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Hide, Leather
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal
2010s Modern Tableware
Crystal
1850s French Rococo Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 17th Century Italian Baroque Antique Tableware
Maiolica
20th Century Tableware
Brass
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
1940s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Wicker, Rattan
1990s Mexican Modern Tableware
Silver
2010s Modern Tableware
Crystal, Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century German Tableware
Gold, Gold Plate
20th Century French Empire Tableware
Ceramic, Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Tableware
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Tableware
Stoneware
1860s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Tableware
Metal, Silver
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Modern Tableware
Crystal
Late 20th Century Philippine Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Shell
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Faience
1970s English Victorian Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Leather
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Metal
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1910s German Romantic Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century German Victorian Antique Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
Late 19th Century French Antique Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Glass
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
Mid-20th Century European Classical Roman Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century German Tableware
Metal
Early 20th Century Tableware
Metal, Sterling Silver
20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
Antique and Vintage Tableware
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
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.