Tableware
1980s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Tableware
Silver
19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian International Style Tableware
Earthenware
1990s American Minimalist Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Metal
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Tableware
Enamel
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Metal
2010s Palestinian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
20th Century American Shaker Tableware
Metal
Early 19th Century British Antique Tableware
Sheffield Plate
Late 18th Century Turkish Other Antique Tableware
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Tableware
Chrome
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Tableware
Metal, Tôle
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal
20th Century Finnish Tableware
Earthenware
Early 19th Century English Egyptian Revival Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1840s French Art Deco Antique Tableware
Wool, Silk
1960s Thai Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass, Bronze
1960s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Tableware
Glass
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Tableware
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Copper, Zinc
1970s Unknown Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Brass
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1980s American Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
Early 1900s Italian Antique Tableware
Fruitwood
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Wood
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Rosewood
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Marble
1970s Philippine Bohemian Vintage Tableware
Shell, Coconut
1980s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Copper
19th Century French Antique Tableware
Stainless Steel
19th Century American Country Antique Tableware
Reclaimed Wood
1850s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Metal
20th Century African Tableware
Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Steel
Mid-20th Century English International Style Tableware
Sterling Silver, Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Glass
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Silver
1920s English Vintage Tableware
Sheffield Plate, Stainless Steel
20th Century American Art Deco Tableware
Glass
1960s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Aluminum
1960s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Metal
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.