Tableware
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 1900s German Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Plastic
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Teak
1840s French Louis Philippe Antique Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s British Post-Modern Tableware
Marble
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Danish Art Deco Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Blown Glass
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Cotton
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Crystal
1890s French Belle Époque Antique Tableware
Silver
Mid-20th Century British Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Tableware
Ceramic
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Metal
1930s British Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Silver
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Wood, Ceramic
1930s British Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 2000s German Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century English Tableware
Silver
Late 19th Century Chinese Meiji Antique Tableware
Enamel, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1880s Russian Louis XVI Antique Tableware
Stone, Bronze
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Metal
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
Early 20th Century English Tableware
Gold
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s German Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Spanish Tableware
Agate, Steel
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Maple
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1950s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Mexican Folk Art Vintage Tableware
Copper
2010s Italian Tableware
Linen
1980s French Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Tableware
Metal
Late 20th Century Danish Tableware
Art Glass
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1910s English Vintage Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Linen
Early 1900s American Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
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.