Tableware
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Country Tableware
Ceramic
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Modern Tableware
Plexiglass
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Nickel
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
Early 20th Century Danish Rococo Revival Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1960s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1870s French Antique Tableware
Faience
20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
1760s Antique Tableware
Glass
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
1930s Polish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Glass
Late 20th Century British Organic Modern Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century British Organic Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Baroque Tableware
Ceramic
19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Tableware
Ceramic, Porcelain
2010s French Post-Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1920s German Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Glass
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1980s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
1960s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1960s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1910s European Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Majolica
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Steel
20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Pottery, Ceramic
Early 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Belle Époque Tableware
Porcelain
1970s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Pewter
19th Century English Antique Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Other Tableware
Porcelain
1880s Antique Tableware
Cut Glass
Early 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1950s Hungarian Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
19th Century German Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic, Stoneware
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.