Tableware
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century Portuguese Antique Tableware
Silver
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century British Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Tableware
Cotton, Linen
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Tableware
Cotton, Linen
Late 20th Century Italian Other Tableware
Metal
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
1920s Czech Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Glass
2010s Italian Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Paste, Porcelain
1940s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century German Rococo Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century German Tableware
Brass
Early 20th Century Russian Tableware
Silver, Enamel
2010s Italian Tableware
Murano Glass
19th Century Antique Tableware
Crystal, Silver Plate, Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Chrome
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Metal
Early 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Silver Plate
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Tableware
Pewter
Late 19th Century English Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
1830s English William IV Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Crystal, Silver
20th Century Norwegian Post-Modern Tableware
Plastic
20th Century Italian Tableware
Plastic
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass, Copper
1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
1930s French Brutalist Vintage Tableware
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Art Nouveau Tableware
Metal, Silver Plate
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal
1920s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
20th Century French French Provincial Tableware
Brass
2010s American Tableware
Bronze
2010s American Tableware
Bronze
2010s American Tableware
Bronze
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Crystal, Silver
20th Century French Other Tableware
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Country Tableware
Ceramic
1970s Italian Vintage Tableware
Chrome
1970s English Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Tableware
Glass
Mid-20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
1920s Italian Neoclassical Vintage Tableware
Blown Glass
19th Century European Antique Tableware
Glass
20th Century Russian Tableware
Silver
20th Century British Georgian Tableware
Bronze
Mid-20th Century British Tableware
Porcelain
19th Century English Georgian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Tableware
Crystal
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Pottery
2010s European Modern Tableware
Porcelain
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.
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