Tableware
1940s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Stainless Steel
1990s Italian Baroque Tableware
Silver
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Plastic
20th Century Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Steel, Stainless Steel
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Glass, Teak
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s French Vintage Tableware
Crystal
2010s American Colonial Tableware
Clay
Mid-20th Century German Tableware
Stainless Steel
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Teak
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
2010s Tableware
Blown Glass
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Pewter
20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Tableware
Ceramic, Paint
1960s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Tableware
Gold Plate, Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Hollywood Regency Tableware
Silver Plate, Stainless Steel
Early 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English George IV Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
1970s French Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Cotton, Linen, Yarn
Late 20th Century Organic Modern Tableware
Horn
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Grand Tour Tableware
Iron
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Majolica
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Crystal
1960s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Leather, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Art Deco Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Korean Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Steel, Stainless Steel
1960s Danish Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Thai Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass, Bronze
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
Mid-18th Century English George II Antique Tableware
Mahogany
Early 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary English Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Wood
2010s Brazilian Tableware
Agate, Amethyst, Crystal, Rock Crystal
20th Century French Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Gold
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
20th Century Czech Renaissance Tableware
Cut Glass
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1940s Danish Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Japanese Tableware
Enamel
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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