Tableware





2010s American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Palestinian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s Tableware
Blown Glass
1890s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Quartz
2010s Ukrainian Modern Tableware
Brass, Steel
19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Czech Baroque Tableware
Glass
Mid-20th Century French Tableware
Crystal
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Glass, Art Glass
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Metal
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Rosewood
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Grand Tour Tableware
Iron
1970s Italian Vintage Tableware
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Tableware
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Grand Tour Tableware
Iron
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Grand Tour Tableware
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary European Art Deco Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary European Art Deco Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Marble, Carrara Marble
2010s South American Tableware
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Leather, Glass
2010s South American Tableware
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Tableware
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Country Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
1910s English Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Grand Tour Tableware
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Other Tableware
Brass
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1890s American Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
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.