Tableware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Resin, Plastic
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s American Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Tableware
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Murano Glass, Murrine, Art Glass, Blown Glass
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Linen
20th Century Czech Renaissance Tableware
Cut Glass
1860s English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Plastic
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Tableware
Crystal
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
2010s American Modern Tableware
Brass
1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
1960s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century French Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Finnish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Ceramic
1950s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Spanish Romantic Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Tableware
Silver
Late 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Tableware
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Resin
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century British Victorian Antique Tableware
Porcelain
2010s European Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
Early 20th Century English Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Tableware
Ceramic, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Japonisme Antique Tableware
Earthenware, Majolica
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
Mid-19th Century American Antique Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary English Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary English Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary English Tableware
Ceramic
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.