Tea Sets
1890s English Arts and Crafts Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
1930s Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century German Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Plastic
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
Late 20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
1920s English Edwardian Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
1950s Swedish Vintage Tea Sets
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Islamic Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1970s Chinese Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Country Antique Tea Sets
Copper
1720s Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Tea Sets
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1870s British Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver
Early 1800s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1870s American Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1810s Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Japanese Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
1890s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Brass
1980s Danish Space Age Vintage Tea Sets
Metal
Mid-20th Century Art Nouveau Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1980s French Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century German Victorian Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Russian Tea Sets
Brass, Steel
1810s English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Brass
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1940s European Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1890s American Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century Persian Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
1790s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s American Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1810s English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Art Nouveau Antique Tea Sets
Brass, Copper
Early 20th Century Japanese Taisho Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s Polish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Tea Sets
Other
Mid-20th Century English Rococo Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Japanese Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Enamel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Italian Industrial Tea Sets
Aluminum
1860s English Industrial Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Rustic Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
1830s English Rococo Revival Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 1900s British Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Antique, New and Vintage Tea Sets
Ready to serve high tea and brunch for your family and friends? Start with the right antique, new or vintage tea set.
Tea is a multicultural, multinational beverage and isn’t confined to any particular lifestyle or age group. It has humble beginnings, and one of its best-known origin stories places the first cups of tea in 2700 B.C. in China, where it was recognized for its medicinal properties. Jump ahead to 17th-century England, when Chinese tea began to arrive at ports in London. During the early 1800s, tea became widely affordable, and the concept of teatime took shape all over England. Today, more than 150 million people reportedly drink tea daily in the United States.
Early tea drinkers enjoyed their beverage in a bowl, and English potters eventually added a handle to the porcelain bowls so that burning your fingers became less of a teatime hazard. With the rise in the popularity of teatime, tea sets, also referred to as tea service, became a hot commodity.
During Queen Victoria’s reign, teakettles and coffeepots were added to tea services that were quite large — indeed, small baked goods were served with your drink back then, and a tea set could include many teacups and saucers, a milk pot and other accessories.
During the early 1920s, a sterling-silver full tea service and tray designed by Tiffany & Co. might include a hot-water kettle on a stand, a coffeepot, teapot, a creamer with a small lip spout, a waste bowl and a bowl for sugar, which the British were stirring into tea as early as the 18th century.
But you don’t have to limit your tea set to Victorian or Art Deco styles — shake up teatime with an artful contemporary service. If the bold porcelain cups and saucers by Italian brand Seletti are too unconventional for your otherwise subdued tea circle, find antique services on 1stDibs from Japan, France and other locales as well as vintage mid-century modern tea sets and neoclassical designs.