Tableware
Late 18th Century Antique Tableware
Pewter
1940s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Pewter
Early 18th Century British Georgian Antique Tableware
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Japanese Art Deco Tableware
Chrome
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century German Rococo Antique Tableware
Pewter
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Teak
Early 20th Century Austrian Bohemian Tableware
Bronze
1750s English Georgian Antique Tableware
Pottery
1880s Russian Antique Tableware
Silver, Enamel
19th Century British Antique Tableware
Metal, Silver
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Tableware
Crystal
2010s Italian Tableware
Glass
Early 20th Century German Baroque Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver, Steel
Early 20th Century Victorian Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Metal
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Tableware
Brass
2010s Italian Belle Époque Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Chinoiserie Tableware
Ceramic, Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Leather, Wood
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary English Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-18th Century English Rococo Antique Tableware
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
Late 19th Century German Antique Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century French Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Tableware
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
1980s German Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Crystal, Silver Plate
19th Century Dutch Antique Tableware
Crystal, Silver
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Crystal
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Dutch Art Deco Tableware
Metal, Silver Plate
1970s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Metal
20th Century Italian Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Quartz
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
1870s English Antique Tableware
Copper
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Tableware
Gold Plate, Silver Plate, Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Gold Leaf
1870s Japanese Antique Tableware
Earthenware
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Country Tableware
Ceramic
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1980s Italian Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century Asian Antique Tableware
Metal
20th Century English Victorian Tableware
Fabric, Thread
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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