Tableware
1990s Japanese Tableware
Stainless Steel
1980s French Louis XVI Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
1980s British Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver Leaf, Sterling Silver, Silver Plate, Silver
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1970s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate, Bronze
Late 20th Century Swedish Modern Tableware
Brass
2010s Modern Tableware
Crystal
2010s English Tableware
Bronze, Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Swedish Modern Tableware
Brass
Late 20th Century Swedish Modern Tableware
Brass
2010s Modern Tableware
Crystal
Late 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Tableware
Metal, Silver Plate
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Leather, Walnut
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Mexican Tableware
Ceramic
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Chrome
1970s French Modern Vintage Tableware
Glass
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Plexiglass
2010s American Art Deco Tableware
Silver Plate, Steel
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Faience, Majolica
Late 20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1970s Indonesian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Tableware
Wood
2010s Modern Tableware
Marble
1980s German Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1990s North American Post-Modern Tableware
Lucite
1970s North American Brutalist Vintage Tableware
Pewter
2010s Tableware
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Spanish Tableware
Silver
Late 20th Century Victorian Tableware
Silver Plate
1970s Danish Vintage Tableware
Iron
1970s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Victorian Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Gold Plate, Brass
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal, Brass, Enamel, Chrome
2010s Tableware
Stainless Steel
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Pewter
2010s Italian Baroque Tableware
Murano Glass
1970s Vintage Tableware
Mirror
2010s Italian Tableware
Bamboo
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Bronze
1970s British Vintage Tableware
Gold, Enamel
Late 20th Century Swedish Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s German Tableware
Other
2010s German Tableware
Other
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Bronze
Late 20th Century Swedish Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Bronze
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Bronze
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.