Tableware
1970s French Space Age Vintage Tableware
Plastic
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver
2010s Thai Art Deco Tableware
Wood, Goatskin
1970s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Thai Art Deco Tableware
Marble
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Tableware
Silver Plate
1960s English Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
1970s English Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Chrome
Early 20th Century English Tableware
Silver Plate
1970s Italian Vintage Tableware
Crystal
1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1930s Italian Modern Vintage Tableware
Alpaca
1940s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
Early 20th Century Victorian Tableware
Silver Plate
1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Brass
2010s Tableware
Stoneware
Early 20th Century English Victorian Tableware
Ceramic
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
2010s Organic Modern Tableware
Stoneware
1910s English Edwardian Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Quartz, Silver Plate
1980s North American Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Lucite
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Tableware
Metal
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Tableware
Stainless Steel, Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Bronze
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Opaline Glass
1980s French Vintage Tableware
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Glass, Plastic
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Teak
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Tableware
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century French Rococo Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Palestinian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century French Other Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Italian Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Spanish Victorian Tableware
Metal
1960s English Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century British Georgian Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Teak
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century English Other Tableware
Porcelain
1930s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
1970s Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1970s Italian Folk Art Vintage Tableware
Brass
Early 20th Century Tableware
Porcelain
1970s German Rococo Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate
20th Century German Art Nouveau Tableware
Silver Plate
1990s French Napoleon III Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
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.