Tableware
2010s French Tableware
Wood, Cherry
1930s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Oak
2010s French Tableware
Wood
2010s Mexican Modern Tableware
Terracotta
1930s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
2010s Mexican Modern Tableware
Resin
1930s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
1930s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
1930s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
1930s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
1930s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Maple
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s Tableware
Copper, Enamel
1930s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Iron
2010s American Post-Modern Tableware
Clay
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble, Steel
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s Finnish Modern Tableware
Oak
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Crystal
2010s Italian Tableware
Linen
2010s Ukrainian Minimalist Tableware
Glass
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver, Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s French Modern Tableware
Metal
2010s British Post-Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s Danish Post-Modern Tableware
Marble
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
1930s British Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Finnish Modern Tableware
Oak
1930s German Vintage Tableware
Majolica
1930s German Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Linen
2010s Danish Modern Tableware
Concrete
2010s Czech Post-Modern Tableware
Glass
2010s Turkish Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Pewter
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Mexican Modern Tableware
Resin
2010s American Modern Tableware
Brass
2010s Italian Tableware
Linen
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Crystal
2010s Spanish Brutalist Tableware
Aluminum, Brass
2010s American Arts and Crafts Tableware
Ceramic
1930s English Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
1930s German Vintage 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.