Tea Sets
19th Century French Rustic Antique Tea Sets
Pottery
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
1890s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Italian Other Tea Sets
Gold, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Earthenware
Early 1900s German Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Glass, Wood
20th Century Art Deco Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Tea Sets
Aluminum
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Dutch Tea Sets
Silver
1850s Unknown Antique Tea Sets
Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Leather, Glass
Mid-19th Century Antique Tea Sets
Silver
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
1770s English Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Creamware, Pottery
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Tea Sets
Silver Plate
19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century British Tea Sets
Metal
1970s Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1880s English Antique Tea Sets
Majolica
Early 19th Century English Country Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Dutch Tea Sets
Silver
1830s English William IV Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Plastic, Leather
19th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1880s German Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1890s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
Mid-19th Century Dutch Country Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century Japanese Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 20th Century German Post-Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 1900s Arts and Crafts Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century English George I Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1810s English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
18th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1920s German Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1910s English Art Nouveau Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1990s American Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
18th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1990s Italian Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Country Tea Sets
Paint, 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.