Tea Sets
21st Century and Contemporary South African Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
2010s French Tea Sets
Earthenware
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1870s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tea Sets
Pewter
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1880s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver, Silver
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century English Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s French Tea Sets
Earthenware
2010s French Tea Sets
Earthenware
18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Wood, Mahogany
18th Century British Georgian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1940s British Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1920s English Arts and Crafts Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s English Arts and Crafts Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century Italian Modern Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century Russian Arts and Crafts Tea Sets
Silver
1950s British Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century British Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Danish Tea Sets
Plastic
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 18th Century English Antique Tea Sets
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Tea Sets
Pottery
1950s Vintage Tea Sets
Terracotta
2010s French Tea Sets
Earthenware
1910s English Arts and Crafts Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Faience, Earthenware
18th Century Swiss Antique Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century Danish Art Nouveau Tea Sets
Metal, Sterling Silver, Silver
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
2010s French Tea Sets
Earthenware
Early 20th Century Chinese Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century French Rococo Tea Sets
Silver
1840s German Queen Anne Antique Tea Sets
Silver
1960s Polish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s German Vintage Tea Sets
Brass, Copper
2010s French Tea Sets
Earthenware
2010s French Tea Sets
Earthenware
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
17th Century English Antique Tea Sets
Silver
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1720s Vietnamese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century British Tea Sets
Metal
1820s English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Japonisme Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Chrome
1820s Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1820s English Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Danish Tea Sets
Silver, Enamel
20th Century English Art Nouveau Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1920s Danish Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling 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.