Tableware
1950s German Classical Roman Vintage Tableware
Gold
1920s Indian Vintage Tableware
Silver
1920s American Louis XIV Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s American Vienna Secession Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s German Bauhaus Vintage Tableware
Sheet Metal
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Unknown Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s French Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Crystal
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Brass
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s American Louis XIV Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
1920s Louis XIV Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s Danish Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Faience
1920s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s English Arts and Crafts Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s American Industrial Vintage Tableware
Cork, Glass
1920s American Louis XIV Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s Italian Neoclassical Vintage Tableware
Blown Glass
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Cotton, Linen, Yarn
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
1950s French Vintage Tableware
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
1920s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Teak
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Walnut
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s English Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Gold, Enamel
1950s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
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.