Tableware
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Earthenware
Early 2000s German Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Country Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century English Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Marble
20th Century French Louis XVI Tableware
Porcelain
1910s Danish Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver
1960s Italian Vintage Tableware
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Minimalist Tableware
Steel
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tableware
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
Early 20th Century Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Terracotta
1980s Vintage Tableware
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Tableware
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Tableware
Iron
Mid-20th Century English Brutalist Tableware
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Tableware
Marble
1950s European Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Teak
20th Century Danish Art Deco Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Tableware
Iron
Early 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Tableware
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Tableware
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Tableware
Cotton
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Crystal
Mid-20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
1980s Italian French Provincial Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Tableware
Gold
Early 20th Century American Renaissance Revival Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s German Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Steel
Mid-20th Century English Tableware
Porcelain, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Tableware
Iron
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century English Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Tableware
Iron
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Steel, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Tableware
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Tableware
Copper, Enamel
20th Century Italian Victorian Tableware
Metal
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
Late 19th Century German Napoleon III Antique Tableware
Silver
Mid-20th Century Thai Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass, Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Steel
1990s Italian Tableware
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Tableware
Marble
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Tableware
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Tableware
Metal
1970s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century French Tableware
Bamboo, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Baroque Tableware
Crystal
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.
Read More
Paul Revere Crafted This Silver Coffee Pot 250 Years Ago
Perhaps best known as a Revolutionary War hero, Revere was also an accomplished silversmith, and this pot is now available on 1stDibs.
From Arne Jacobsen to Zaha Hadid, Top Designers Tackle Tableware
Clever objects like these make feasting even more festive.