Tea Sets
1950s Italian Other Vintage Tea Sets
Brass
20th Century Danish Tea Sets
Ceramic
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
Late 19th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Antique Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century German Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
19th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Modern Tea Sets
Enamel, Sterling Silver
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
19th Century Unknown Antique Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Unknown Victorian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1890s Antique Tea Sets
Gold Plate, Silver, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary South African Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century Unknown Baroque Tea Sets
Brass
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Tea Sets
Silver
1780s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
18th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s French Tea Sets
Earthenware
20th Century English Tea Sets
Majolica
Early 1800s Danish Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Unknown Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1930s English Vintage Tea Sets
Paste, Porcelain
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Tea Sets
Silver
1930s Great Britain (UK) Arts and Crafts Vintage Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century American Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century Dutch Art Deco Tea Sets
Copper
1970s American Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Steel, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Canadian Colonial Revival Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Tea Sets
Silver
Late 19th Century English Belle Époque Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1870s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1840s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century Chinese Tea Sets
Porcelain
1760s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1960s Austrian Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
19th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Dutch Tea Sets
Silver
Mid-20th Century Polish Other Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century European Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
1870s Danish Antique Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Baroque Antique Tea Sets
Metal, Silver
1880s French Neoclassical Revival Antique Tea Sets
Brass, Copper
Early 1900s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Silver
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.