Tableware
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Tableware
Silver
2010s Tableware
Travertine
Late 19th Century French Chinoiserie Antique Tableware
Ormolu
19th Century English Antique Tableware
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1880s French Country Antique Tableware
Copper, Iron
1880s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Mahogany
1860s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Copper
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Marble
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s Palestinian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s American Organic Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Stoneware
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s European Tableware
Marble
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Aluminum, Metal
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Aluminum, Metal
2010s Italian Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Gold Plate, Brass
2010s Austrian Country Tableware
Iron
2010s American Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century British High Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver
1870s Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Renaissance Revival Tableware
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Tableware
Silver
2010s European Tableware
Brass
Late 19th Century English Chinoiserie Antique Tableware
Lacquer
19th Century British Victorian Antique Tableware
Copper
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century American Aesthetic Movement Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Portuguese Organic Modern Tableware
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Tableware
Ceramic
2010s Portuguese Organic Modern Tableware
Maple
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Tableware
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Tableware
Bronze
Early 19th Century British Georgian Antique Tableware
Wood
1870s American American Classical Antique Tableware
Brass
2010s North American Tableware
Cotton
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Brass
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Gold Plate, Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
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 Argentine Modern Tableware
Steel
Late 19th Century British Edwardian Antique Tableware
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century American Antique Tableware
Silver
1860s English Victorian Antique 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.