Tableware
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Finnish Tableware
Porcelain
1970s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1980s French Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Mexican Folk Art Vintage Tableware
Copper
1970s French Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
Late 20th Century European Post-Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Swedish Tableware
Stainless Steel
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate, Silver
1980s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1980s French Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1990s French Renaissance Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
1980s British Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Danish Tableware
Art Glass
Late 20th Century Tableware
Stainless Steel
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Blown Glass
1980s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s American Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic, Earthenware
Late 20th Century Japonisme Tableware
Porcelain
1970s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Crystal
1990s Italian Other Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Art Deco Tableware
Glass
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1980s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Finnish Brutalist Vintage Tableware
Bronze
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
1980s British Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1980s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1980s French Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1990s English Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Steel
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1980s English Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century English Tableware
Metal
1970s Finnish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
Late 20th Century Country Tableware
Porcelain
1980s Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Tableware
Glass
Late 20th Century German Modern Tableware
Porcelain
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.