Tea Sets
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1830s French Empire Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century English Rococo Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate, Copper
18th Century Scottish Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
17th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century European Tea Sets
Brass
1860s British Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1760s English Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Creamware, Pottery
Mid-20th Century Mexican Modern Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1820s English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 1900s Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
1890s English Queen Anne Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver, Silver
Early 20th Century Japanese Other Tea Sets
Ceramic
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Rococo Revival Tea Sets
Ceramic, Porcelain
1990s German Post-Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Tea Sets
Gold
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English American Colonial Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
1990s Russian Tea Sets
Gold
1890s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
1930s Italian Futurist Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic, Stoneware
20th Century German Post-Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Post-Modern Tea Sets
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Country Tea Sets
Ceramic, Porcelain
2010s Italian Other Tea Sets
Blown Glass
1920s German Bauhaus Vintage Tea Sets
Glass
20th Century Russian Regency Tea Sets
Brass
Early 1900s Great Britain (UK) Queen Anne Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1880s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Early 1900s North American Queen Anne Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century Dutch Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1940s Vintage Tea Sets
Metal, Brass
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century English George III Antique Tea Sets
Copper
20th Century Swedish Post-Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Silver Plate, Copper
20th Century Italian Post-Modern Tea Sets
Aluminum
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1890s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century German Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1950s Czech Bohemian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Country Tea Sets
Pottery
Early 19th Century British Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
1960s English George I Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1970s German Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Tea Sets
Metal, Enamel, Metallic Thread
Late 20th Century 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.