Tableware
Early 20th Century German French Provincial Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Victorian Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Tableware
Silver Plate, Brass
Early 1900s British Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Crystal, Silver Plate
1910s British Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Tableware
Earthenware
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s English Edwardian Vintage Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Brass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Tableware
Earthenware
1910s English Edwardian Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Tableware
Silver Plate, Brass
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 1900s Antique Tableware
Faience
Early 1900s American Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
1920s Belgian Vintage Tableware
Crystal, Gold
Early 20th Century Danish Tableware
Metal
1910s British Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Tableware
Silver Plate, Brass
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Tableware
Faience
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
1920s Danish Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
Early 1900s British Neoclassical Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Art Glass
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Tableware
Silver
1910s American Vintage Tableware
Gold, Enamel
1920s British Vintage Tableware
Gold, Enamel
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal
Early 1900s German Jugendstil Antique Tableware
Crystal, Enamel
Early 1900s Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s Chinese Other Vintage Tableware
Metal
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s English Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal, Enamel
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal
Early 20th Century Edwardian Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century Baroque Tableware
Silver
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Silver
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Alpaca
Early 20th Century Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Tableware
Metal
Early 20th Century Dutch Tableware
Silver
1920s Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Brass
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Tableware
Brass
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Edwardian Tableware
Silver Plate
1910s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
1920s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
1910s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
1920s Danish Vintage Tableware
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.