Tableware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Marble, Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Oak
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Tableware
Steel
1980s French Louis XVI Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 2000s Italian Louis XVI Tableware
Crystal, Sterling Silver
1990s American Minimalist Tableware
Ceramic
20th Century French Louis XVI Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Louis XVI Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Minimalist Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Ukrainian Minimalist Tableware
Glass
2010s Italian Minimalist Tableware
Murano Glass
1880s Russian Louis XVI Antique Tableware
Stone, Bronze
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Oak
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Maple
2010s Ukrainian Minimalist Tableware
Glass
1920s German Louis XVI Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Tableware
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Tableware
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Brass
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Linen
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Linen
2010s Turkish Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Oak
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Bentwood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Murano Glass, Murrine, Art Glass, Blown Glass
1990s French Louis XVI Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Chestnut
1930s English Louis XVI Vintage Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
2010s French Minimalist Tableware
Wood, Ash, Chestnut, Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Tableware
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
2010s Italian Minimalist Tableware
Glass
20th Century French Louis XVI Tableware
Silver
2010s Mexican Minimalist Tableware
Stone
2010s Mexican Minimalist Tableware
Stone, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Minimalist Tableware
Steel
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Tableware
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Marble
Mid-19th Century Belgian Minimalist Antique Tableware
Crystal
1860s French Louis XVI Antique Tableware
Crystal, Bronze
1920s French Louis XVI Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
18th Century and Earlier Danish Louis XVI Antique Tableware
Silver
Late 20th Century Italian Minimalist Tableware
Late 20th Century Italian Minimalist Tableware
Glass
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.