Tableware
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
1920s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Metal
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s American Colonial Tableware
Clay
1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century British Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century English Tableware
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Grand Tour Tableware
Iron
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
20th Century Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Tableware
Marble, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Baroque Tableware
Crystal
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Tableware
Metal
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s German Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate, Stainless Steel
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Silver Plate
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate
2010s Italian Tableware
Cotton
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Steel
20th Century Luxembourgish Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Unknown Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Brass
1980s British Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Spanish Rustic Tableware
Terracotta
1880s Belle Époque Antique Tableware
Silver
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Teak
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Tableware
Glass
20th Century Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Organic Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
20th Century French Tableware
Gold
1980s North American Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Lucite
1970s American Baroque Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s Indian Modern Tableware
Cotton
1940s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Korean Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
1960s English George I Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1860s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Tableware
Metal, Silver
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Rosewood
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal, Brass
1960s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
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.
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.





