Tableware
1920s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s English Regency Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Crystal
2010s Danish Modern Tableware
Marble
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver, Silver
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1850s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s French Belle Époque Antique Tableware
Gold
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tableware
Sheffield Plate
Mid-20th Century Japanese Tableware
Porcelain
1870s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
1980s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Tableware
Copper, Enamel
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
1950s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Crystal
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Linen
1920s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century American Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
1920s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Crystal
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Tableware
Wood
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1800s English George III Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Danish Modern Tableware
Marble
1960s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1980s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
Late 20th Century Country Tableware
Porcelain
1910s Vintage Tableware
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Finnish Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary English Tableware
Ceramic
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Tableware
Wood
1880s English Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century English Georgian Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century North American Tableware
Sterling Silver
1980s Vintage Tableware
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Oak
1960s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Tableware
Copper, Enamel
1910s British Vintage Tableware
Silver, Sterling 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.