Tableware
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Metal
Late 20th Century American Bohemian Tableware
Pottery, Paint
1980s American Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Japanese Other Antique Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century English Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Plastic
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Stainless Steel
1950s Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
1910s English Vintage Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Satin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Linen
1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century English Victorian Tableware
Fabric, Thread
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Tableware
Stone
Mid-20th Century Regency Tableware
Silver Plate
1890s French Belle Époque Antique Tableware
Silver
20th Century American Hollywood Regency Tableware
Fabric
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Plastic
Late 20th Century European Post-Modern Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Turkish Modern Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
20th Century Hungarian Tableware
Porcelain
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Crystal
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Enamel
1980s French Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Tableware
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Brass
19th Century Unknown Antique Tableware
Vermeil, Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Quartz, Silver Plate
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary French Arts and Crafts Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Tableware
Cotton, Linen, Thread
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Pottery, Stoneware, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Tableware
Linen
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Finnish Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Italian Tableware
Silver
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Resin, Plastic
1980s Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary English Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
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.