Tableware
1940s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Tableware
Carrara Marble, Stainless Steel
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Portuguese Organic Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Stoneware
2010s Portuguese Organic Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Stoneware
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
1940s North American Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
2010s German Tableware
Other
2010s Italian Tableware
Marble
2010s Italian Tableware
Glass
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Leather, Wood
2010s Italian Tableware
Leather
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Italian Tableware
Marble
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
1940s Italian Vintage Tableware
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Gold Plate
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Singaporean Modern Tableware
Quartz
2010s Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Tableware
Limestone, Sandstone
1940s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Singaporean Modern Tableware
Limestone, Sandstone
1940s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Brass
1940s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s American Tableware
Linen
1940s Danish Vintage Tableware
Pewter
2010s Swedish Tableware
Art Glass
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Silver
2010s American Tableware
Linen
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s American Tableware
Linen
2010s American Tableware
Linen
2010s Italian Tableware
Silver
2010s American Tableware
Linen
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage 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.