Tea Sets
1970s Danish Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Arts and Crafts Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Stone, Silver, Silver Plate, Brass
1980s British Georgian Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century Antique Tea Sets
Brass
20th Century Asian Chinese Export Tea Sets
Porcelain, Wicker
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Glass, Opaline Glass
Mid-20th Century English Country Tea Sets
Earthenware
Late 20th Century French Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Tea Sets
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary British Minimalist Tea Sets
Stoneware
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Metal
1810s French Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Tea Sets
Copper
20th Century Tea Sets
Brass, Bronze
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain, Teak
1990s French Art Deco Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 1800s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Copper
1830s English Rococo Revival Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1980s Swedish Minimalist Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Earthenware
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
1970s French Vintage Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1960s French French Provincial Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Japanese Post-Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1940s Italian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century British Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Enamel
Late 20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century Norwegian Antique Tea Sets
Gold Plate, Silver, Enamel
20th Century German Tea Sets
Metal
20th Century Danish Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 19th Century Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century German Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Danish Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century German Tea Sets
Porcelain
1880s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Country Tea Sets
Pottery, Paint
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Quartz, Silver Plate
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
19th Century Northern Irish George IV Antique Tea Sets
Glass
1990s American Arts and Crafts Tea Sets
Clay
1930s Scandinavian Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Silver Plate, Brass
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Silver
1750s Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Dutch Country Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Tea Sets
Pottery
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.