Tea Sets
Early 19th Century English George IV Antique Tea Sets
Silver
19th Century American Antique Tea Sets
Granite, Pewter
Early 20th Century Russian Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century Indian Tea Sets
Copper
1940s Mexican Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century Russian Tea Sets
Silver, Enamel
Early 19th Century Austrian Empire Antique Tea Sets
Silver
Early 19th Century English Rococo Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Tea Sets
Coconut
Mid-19th Century American Antique Tea Sets
Silver
Late 19th Century Danish Neoclassical Revival Antique Tea Sets
Silver
Early 19th Century English Folk Art Antique Tea Sets
Pearlware, Pottery
1790s German Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
1830s Belgian Baroque Revival Antique Tea Sets
19th Century American Primitive Antique Tea Sets
Metal
19th Century British Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1930s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
1930s English Vintage Tea Sets
Paste, Porcelain
1890s American Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century English Tea Sets
Majolica
Early 20th Century American Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century American Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Copper
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tea Sets
Ceramic
1950s Austrian Vintage Tea Sets
Copper
1970s British Vintage Tea Sets
Pottery
18th Century and Earlier English Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Tea Sets
Pewter
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Copper, Silver Plate
19th Century English Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1770s English Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s British Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1920s Arts and Crafts Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Victorian Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1970s Italian Baroque Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
1860s American Neoclassical Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s Chinese Vintage Tea Sets
19th Century Italian Antique Tea Sets
Paste, Porcelain
Early 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Modern Tea Sets
Enamel, Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain, Paste
Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Silver
1880s English Antique Tea Sets
1950s British Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century French Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century French Tea Sets
Early 20th Century American Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Brass
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.