Tableware
1970s English Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s American Chinoiserie Vintage Tableware
Silver
Mid-20th Century English Classical Greek Tableware
Gold Leaf
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1980s French Vintage Tableware
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Pottery, Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary French Arts and Crafts Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century British Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Italian Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s French Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
1910s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Italian Modern Tableware
Glass
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Danish Art Nouveau Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Russian Empire Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
1920s British Vintage Tableware
Gold, Enamel
20th Century Italian Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Stone, Gold Plate, Brass
19th Century Dutch Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Gold
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Cotton, Linen, Yarn
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Rosewood
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver, Enamel
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Gold
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Art Glass
Late 19th Century English Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass, Copper
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s Danish Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver, Enamel
20th Century Tableware
Silver
18th Century British George III Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century German Jugendstil Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century British Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1990s French Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1840s French Louis Philippe Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Tableware
Enamel
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Modern Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Gold Plate
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s Spanish Arts and Crafts Vintage Tableware
Copper
20th Century English Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Swedish Art Nouveau Tableware
Metal, Silver Plate
20th Century German Folk Art Tableware
Porcelain
1970s French Vintage Tableware
Glass
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.
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