Tableware
Early 1800s Danish Empire Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century Dutch Antique Tableware
Crystal, Silver
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Tableware
Silver
1860s European Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver
Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Tableware
Copper
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver
Late 19th Century American Antique Tableware
Crystal, Sterling Silver
1960s English Vintage Tableware
Gold
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver, Steel
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Pine
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
1870s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century American Japonisme Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver, Copper
Late 19th Century Unknown Belle Époque Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
19th Century Czech Antique Tableware
Porcelain, Paste
Mid-19th Century Antique Tableware
Silver
19th Century Asian Antique Tableware
Metal
1850s American Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Empire Revival Antique Tableware
Bronze
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1840s English Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Tableware
Vermeil, Silver
Mid-19th Century French French Provincial Antique Tableware
Earthenware
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Silver
1960s Vintage Tableware
Steel
Late 19th Century British Edwardian Antique Tableware
Sheffield Plate
Mid-19th Century British Antique Tableware
Ceramic, Luster
Early 19th Century British Antique Tableware
Ceramic
1960s Italian Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal, Silver Plate
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Tableware
Copper, Enamel
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
1880s Russian Antique Tableware
Silver, Enamel
19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Tableware
Crystal, Silver
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
Mid-19th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Antique Tableware
Silver
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Tableware
Metal
1890s Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century English George III Antique Tableware
Silver
Early 19th Century American Antique Tableware
Metal
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Teak
Mid-19th Century American Neoclassical Antique Tableware
Silver
19th Century English George III Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1890s French Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
1890s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Silver
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Tableware
Glass
1960s Italian Vintage Tableware
Brass
1960s Japanese Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
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.