Tableware
1940s Danish Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Earthenware
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
Early 2000s Italian Modern Tableware
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
1970s German Space Age Vintage Tableware
Ceramic, Clay, Paint
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
1880s German Rococo Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1920s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Tableware
Gold
2010s Palestinian Tableware
Glass
Early 2000s French Romantic Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Glass
1850s Hungarian Antique Tableware
Silver
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Brass
1950s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Iron
20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
1990s Austrian Post-Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Baltic Minimalist Tableware
Stoneware
18th Century European Antique Tableware
Silver
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Travertine
20th Century American American Classical Tableware
Metal
2010s Indian Tableware
Iron
1930s Danish Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1830s English Victorian Antique Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Tableware
Silver Plate
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Bronze
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
1990s Japanese Tableware
Porcelain
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Crystal, Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Plastic
1990s Japanese Tableware
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Tableware
Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s German Jugendstil Antique Tableware
Ceramic, Earthenware
21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Tableware
Brass
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
20th Century Art Nouveau Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Glass, Teak
1960s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Brass
1960s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Tableware
Gold Plate, Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Organic Modern Tableware
Horn
Late 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Norwegian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Argentine Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Pottery, Clay
20th Century Art Deco Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1990s German Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
20th Century Spanish Tableware
Silver
1990s Italian Baroque Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
1930s Unknown Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century English Georgian Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century American Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century German Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
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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