Tableware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Quartz
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Silver
2010s Tableware
Travertine
1960s British Vintage Tableware
Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Oak
2010s Italian Tableware
Quartz, Silver Plate
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Art Glass, Murrine, Murano Glass, Blown Glass
1840s British Antique Tableware
Silver
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century German Edwardian Tableware
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century British Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Murano Glass
Early 2000s Korean Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Chinese Modern Tableware
Aluminum, Metal
2010s Italian Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Marble, Carrara Marble
Early 2000s Italian Modern Tableware
Glass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass, Cork
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
1930s North American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
Early 1900s Chinese Antique Tableware
Silver
1790s French Antique Tableware
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Tableware
Glass
1810s British Georgian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Antique Tableware
Silver
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
1930s Austrian Vintage Tableware
Metal, Silver, Nickel
Mid-20th Century Austrian Art Deco Tableware
Metal, Sterling Silver, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Polish Tableware
Ceramic, Clay
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Tableware
Wood
2010s Portuguese Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
18th Century English William IV Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Marble
1960s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary French Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
Late 20th Century French Rococo Tableware
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century Italian Other Tableware
Fruitwood
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.