Tea Sets
20th Century Hungarian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Tea Sets
Silver
19th Century British Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Brass, Zinc
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Ceramic
19th Century Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Ceramic
18th Century Japanese Edo Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Modern Tea Sets
Metal
19th Century Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
1990s French Art Deco Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Russian Empire Antique Tea Sets
Brass
Early 20th Century Victorian Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Glass
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Portuguese Romantic Tea Sets
Silver
1890s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
1910s French Space Age Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century English Tea Sets
Britannia Standard Silver
1960s Norwegian Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
19th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Glass
19th Century German Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Sheraton Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1950s Polish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1820s English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
18th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Northern Irish Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Tea Sets
Silver
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Glass
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Glass
18th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Glass
1820s English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Chinese Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate, Sterling Silver
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Tea Sets
Brass
19th Century English George III Antique Tea Sets
Copper
20th Century Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century Dutch Colonial Tea Sets
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century English Tea Sets
Silver
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 1900s Edwardian Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century American George III Tea Sets
Silver
1860s French Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary African Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Glass, Plastic
Late 20th Century French Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 20th Century English Tea Sets
Pewter
Early 20th Century Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
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.