Tableware
Early 20th Century English Tableware
Gold
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Gold Leaf
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
19th Century Czech Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal, Gold
1860s French Louis XVI Antique Tableware
Crystal, Bronze
1880s Czech Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Bronze
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Gold
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Tableware
Gold
Mid-19th Century European Grand Tour Antique Tableware
Bronze
20th Century American Tableware
Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver
1970s French Vintage Tableware
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary British Tableware
Sterling Silver, Gold
Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Tableware
Bronze
Early 20th Century British Tableware
Porcelain, Paste
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Tableware
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Tableware
Marble, Bronze
1950s English Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Gold, Enamel
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver
17th Century German Rococo Antique Tableware
Silver, Vermeil
1950s French Vintage Tableware
Gold, Silver
Early 20th Century French Empire Tableware
Marble, Bronze
1930s Italian Vintage Tableware
Crystal
Early 1900s British Neoclassical Antique Tableware
Enamel, Gold
1920s Czech Vintage Tableware
Crystal, Gold
1890s British Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
1910s American Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Gold
1830s British Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
Early 1900s English Belle Époque Antique Tableware
Gold
Early 1900s Antique Tableware
Enamel, Gold
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.