Tableware
19th Century French Antique Tableware
Vermeil, Silver
Early 1900s British Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
1960s English Vintage Tableware
Gold
1920s German Vintage Tableware
Gold
Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Chinese Modern Tableware
Cotton
Early 1900s British Neoclassical Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
2010s Italian Tableware
Gold Plate
1970s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Bronze, Nickel
1970s Thai Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Nickel, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Meiji Tableware
Gold
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Crystal, Bronze
1890s French Antique Tableware
Crystal, Gold
1880s Russian Louis XVI Antique Tableware
Stone, Bronze
Late 19th Century Chinese Meiji Antique Tableware
Enamel, Bronze
1970s Finnish Brutalist Vintage Tableware
Bronze
1890s French Antique Tableware
Gold, Enamel
1960s North American Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tableware
Metal, Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Resin, Plastic
2010s Italian Tableware
Gold, Enamel
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s Czech Antique Tableware
Crystal, Gold
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century Austrian Bohemian Tableware
Bronze
1940s Moroccan Vintage Tableware
Bronze
1910s European Vintage Tableware
Gold
20th Century American Art Deco Tableware
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Colombian Modern Tableware
Gold
20th Century German Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century English Tableware
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s French Tableware
Bronze
Late 19th Century French French Provincial Antique Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
Early 2000s American Brutalist Tableware
Silver, Bronze
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Italian Tableware
Gold Plate, Silver Plate
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Stone, Gold Plate, Brass
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
1970s German Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Gold Plate, Stainless Steel
2010s French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
Late 20th Century French Tableware
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Italian Other Antique Tableware
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century European Grand Tour Antique Tableware
Bronze
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
2010s Malaysian Modern Tableware
Gold
1980s English Late Victorian Vintage Tableware
Gold
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.