Tableware
1960s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Minimalist Tableware
Glass
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Glass
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Lucite
Late 20th Century Italian Tableware
Metal
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century German Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century French Tableware
Ceramic, Majolica
1870s French Antique Tableware
Faience
21st Century and Contemporary European Art Deco Tableware
Porcelain
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
1870s French Antique Tableware
Faience
Mid-20th Century Asian Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century English Victorian Tableware
Ceramic, Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Ceramic
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
1990s Hungarian Romantic Tableware
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Tableware
Majolica
19th Century British Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century Unknown Louis Philippe Tableware
Steel, Stainless Steel
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
1960s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1870s French Antique Tableware
Faience
1870s French Antique Tableware
Faience
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
20th Century French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Other Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Tableware
Pewter
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
1930s French Art Deco Vintage 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.