Tea Sets
Early 20th Century Persian Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Tea Sets
Brass
Early 19th Century British Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 19th Century British Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
1820s English Romantic Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
2010s Palestinian Modern Tea Sets
Blown Glass
Early 2000s Japanese Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Tea Sets
Silver Plate
20th Century Russian Tea Sets
Silver, Enamel
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Gold
Mid-20th Century Polish Tea Sets
Glass
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
19th Century French Mid-Century Modern Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Chinese Tea Sets
Silver, Enamel
Late 20th Century Japanese Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic, Pottery
1840s British Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Baroque Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 20th Century German Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 20th Century English Tea Sets
Malachite
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
1910s English British Colonial Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
Early 19th Century English William IV Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Unknown Victorian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1980s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Polish Tea Sets
Porcelain, Glass, Ceramic
18th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Danish Tea Sets
Glass
Mid-20th Century Russian Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American American Colonial Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
18th Century English Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic, Pearlware
1870s Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic, Stoneware
1910s Chinese Chinoiserie Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1880s English Other Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1860s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Clay, Ironstone
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Tea Sets
Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1930s Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Majolica
2010s Argentine Organic Modern Tea Sets
Metal
20th Century American Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1870s Antique Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1960s British Vintage Tea Sets
Bone
1830s Czech Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 19th Century German Empire Antique Tea Sets
Gold
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
2010s American Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century British Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
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.