Tableware
Mid-20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Modern Tableware
Brass
Early 20th Century Belgian French Provincial Tableware
Linen
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1980s North American Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Lucite
1990s North American Post-Modern Tableware
Lucite
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Tableware
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Tableware
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Tableware
Stone
2010s Italian Tableware
Quartz, Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
1830s Belgian Baroque Revival Antique Tableware
Silver
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Luxembourgish Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Minimalist Tableware
Murano Glass
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Revival Tableware
Ceramic, Majolica, Faience
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Quartz
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Murano Glass
Early 2000s Korean Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Marble, Carrara Marble
Early 2000s Italian Modern Tableware
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Tableware
Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Oak
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Plastic
20th Century Philippine Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
2010s French International Style Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century Danish Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century English Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
1780s British George III Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1910s British Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Tableware
Silver
Early 2000s English Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
1980s English Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s British Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
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.