Tableware
18th Century English George III Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s Tableware
Travertine
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
1790s French Antique Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s American Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Argentine Modern Tableware
Steel
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Modern Tableware
Marble
Late 18th Century American American Colonial Antique Tableware
Pewter
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Leather, Wood
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s American Organic Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Stoneware
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Italian Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass, Cork
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass, Cork
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
1780s British George III Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Brass
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Gold Plate, Brass
2010s Modern Tableware
Glass
2010s American Tableware
Textile
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Glass
2010s American Tableware
Gold Plate, Brass
2010s American Tableware
Textile
2010s American Tableware
Velvet, Acrylic
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Tableware
Steel
15th Century and Earlier Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Tableware
Glass
2010s Art Deco Tableware
Marble
2010s Tableware
Glass, Blown Glass
2010s Thai Art Deco Tableware
Wood, Goatskin
2010s Thai Art Deco Tableware
Marble
2010s Tableware
Stoneware
2010s Finnish Modern Tableware
Oak
2010s Organic Modern Tableware
Stoneware
2010s Italian Tableware
Quartz, Silver Plate
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Gold Plate
2010s Italian Tableware
Iron
Late 18th Century Antique Tableware
Silver
2010s Palestinian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s American Art Deco Tableware
Silver Plate, Steel
Late 18th Century English Neoclassical Antique Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
2010s English Tableware
Bronze, Stainless Steel
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.