Tableware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Opaline Glass
1980s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Brass
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century Indian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
1930s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Copper, Enamel
20th Century American Modern Tableware
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Philippine Folk Art Tableware
Hemp
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Iron
20th Century American Tableware
Early 20th Century American Tableware
Crystal
1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Danish Post-Modern Tableware
Glass, Art Glass
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Argentine Modern Tableware
Clay, Ceramic, Pottery
20th Century German Tableware
Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Paint
1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
2010s Italian Tableware
Iron
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Faience
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Metal
1920s English Belle Époque Vintage Tableware
Majolica
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Ceramic
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
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.