Tableware
20th Century American Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
2010s German Modern Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century German Tableware
Silver
20th Century Rustic Tableware
Wood
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s English Victorian Vintage Tableware
Ceramic, Porcelain, Paint
1950s French Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
1930s French Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1980s Vintage Tableware
Chrome
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Tableware
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Mexican Modern Tableware
Yarn, Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Mexican Modern Tableware
Yarn, Wood
1960s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Chestnut
1940s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Tin
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s Brazilian Modern Tableware
Bronze
Early 20th Century American American Classical Tableware
Silver Plate
1960s North American Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1950s French Vintage Tableware
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Murano Glass
2010s German Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1940s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Tin
1920s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s English Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s German Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1950s Vintage Tableware
Brass
20th Century American Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Crystal
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stoneware
Late 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Chinese Qing Tableware
Silk, Hardwood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Other
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Other
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Other
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
1960s Spanish Romantic Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s German Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1950s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Brazilian Modern Tableware
Bronze
1960s English Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century British 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.