Tableware
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Brass, Copper
1970s Unknown Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Brass
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Empire Revival Antique Tableware
Bronze, Brass
20th Century French Louis XVI Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1910s German Folk Art Vintage Tableware
Porcelain, Cork
19th Century Russian Antique Tableware
Silver, Enamel
Early 20th Century Japanese Tableware
Copper, Enamel
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Nickel
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Fabric, Yarn
1890s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
1970s Unknown Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Brass
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Gold
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1940s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Crystal, Silver
20th Century Italian Post-Modern Tableware
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Hide, Leather
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Copper
2010s Italian Tableware
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s British Vintage Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Hollywood Regency Tableware
Silver Plate, Stainless Steel
1930s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Tableware
Pewter
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass, Cork
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Metal, Chrome
1910s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1970s French Space Age Vintage Tableware
Plastic
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1990s French Renaissance Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Hide, Leather
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stoneware
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal
20th Century American Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1990s Mexican Modern Tableware
Silver
1950s Italian International Style Vintage Tableware
Brass, Chrome
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.
Read More
Paul Revere Crafted This Silver Coffee Pot 250 Years Ago
Perhaps best known as a Revolutionary War hero, Revere was also an accomplished silversmith, and this pot is now available on 1stDibs.
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Clever objects like these make feasting even more festive.





