Tableware
2010s Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Turkish Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
1970s German Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Tableware
Majolica
Mid-20th Century French Tableware
Crystal
20th Century Tableware
Stainless Steel
18th Century English Neoclassical Antique Tableware
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Modern Tableware
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Crystal
2010s Turkish Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1940s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s German Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Turkish Modern Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
1970s German Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s German Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Belgian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
Late 18th Century Chinese Export Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century American Chinoiserie Tableware
Fabric
1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
2010s Spanish Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Tableware
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Chinese Arts and Crafts Tableware
Ceramic
1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel, Pewter
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Tableware
Metal
2010s Belgian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
1780s Antique Tableware
Glass
Mid-20th Century Austrian Art Deco Tableware
Brass, Nickel
2010s Belgian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Belgian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Belgian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary American Rustic Tableware
Wrought Iron
1810s Antique Tableware
Cut Glass
20th Century Tableware
Stainless Steel
Late 19th Century French Antique Tableware
Majolica
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Cut Glass
2010s Turkish Modern Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
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.