Tableware
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Antique Tableware
Paste, Porcelain
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Wood
19th Century Antique Tableware
Silver
1960s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century Belgian Neoclassical Antique Tableware
Blown Glass, Cut Glass
1890s French Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Steel
19th Century Antique Tableware
Silver
1830s Belgian Baroque Revival Antique Tableware
Silver
19th Century French Antique Tableware
Ceramic, Paint
19th Century Portuguese Antique Tableware
Silver
19th Century English Antique Tableware
1890s Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1890s Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century British Egyptian Revival Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
19th Century British Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal, Brass
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Tableware
Silver
19th Century British Antique Tableware
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s French Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
19th Century English Antique Tableware
19th Century French Antique Tableware
Brass
19th Century English Antique Tableware
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
19th Century American Antique Tableware
Glass
1960s German Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
1850s English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century American Japonisme Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century American Japonisme Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century American Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Plastic, Rosewood
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Bamboo
1820s British George IV Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century German Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
1850s English Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
1890s British Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
Early 19th Century Austrian Empire Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1890s French Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1960s Vietnamese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel, Chrome
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Aluminum
1830s British Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
1850s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Enamel
1810s English George III Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
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.