Tableware
1910s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
1990s North American Post-Modern Tableware
Lucite
Late 20th Century French Post-Modern Tableware
Silver Plate
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Glass, Bakelite
1970s Vintage Tableware
Mirror
Mid-20th Century Victorian Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Gold Plate, Brass
20th Century French Tableware
Earthenware
Late 19th Century American Antique Tableware
Crystal, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Bamboo
20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Pewter
Early 20th Century Tableware
Porcelain
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Tableware
Metal, Sheet Metal
1970s Italian Colonial Revival Vintage Tableware
Gold Leaf
1930s Chinese Chinese Export Vintage Tableware
Silver
20th Century American Neoclassical Revival Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary European Organic Modern Tableware
Stoneware
Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Tableware
Copper
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Marble
Late 20th Century Victorian Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century Danish Tableware
Silver
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
Late 19th Century Unknown Belle Époque Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Baroque Tableware
Murano Glass
Late 20th Century Swedish Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Danish Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century German French Provincial Tableware
Silver Plate
20th Century British Other Tableware
Ceramic
1950s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Crystal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Earthenware
20th Century German Tableware
Sterling Silver, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary European Organic Modern Tableware
Stoneware
1890s Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Swedish Tableware
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Tableware
Pewter
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary European Organic Modern Tableware
Stoneware
Late 19th Century French Antique Tableware
Vermeil, Silver
Mid-20th Century American Tableware
Silver
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Crystal
Mid-19th Century Antique Tableware
Silver
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s German Tableware
Other
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s German Tableware
Other
Early 20th Century German French Provincial Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
Early 20th Century German French Provincial Tableware
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Faience
Mid-20th Century Modern Tableware
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Bronze
20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Tableware
Ceramic, Paint
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal, Brass, Enamel, Chrome
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.