Tea Sets
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 19th Century British Egyptian Revival Antique Tea Sets
Earthenware
Early 19th Century Danish Art Deco Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1940s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Dutch Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1870s American Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Tea Sets
Stoneware
Early 1900s Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Other
19th Century Japanese Taisho Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1980s Danish Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 18th Century English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1970s German Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century American Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
1870s French Napoleon III Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Danish Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century French Art Deco Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Other Tea Sets
Ceramic
19th Century American Antique Tea Sets
Granite, Pewter
2010s Italian Other Tea Sets
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Faience, Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1930s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Silver Plate
19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Tea Sets
Copper
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Tea Sets
Silver Plate
20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
1940s Hungarian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s Danish Neoclassical Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century French Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1970s Japanese Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century English Tea Sets
Pottery
Early 19th Century English Neoclassical Revival Antique Tea Sets
Stoneware
1980s French Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Metal, Silver Plate
Early 1800s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Copper
1970s Unknown Aesthetic Movement Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 20th Century French Country Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1970s Italian Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1770s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1980s German Baroque Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1810s English Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Silver
Mid-20th Century North American Hollywood Regency Tea Sets
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
19th Century French Mid-Century Modern Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century Victorian Antique 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.