Tea Sets
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Tea Sets
Metal, Enamel, Metallic Thread
Mid-20th Century American Tea Sets
Ceramic
1980s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Brass
1850s English Other Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Late 18th Century English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Brass
19th Century Austrian Regency Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic, Porcelain
20th Century Finnish Tea Sets
Metal
20th Century French Art Deco Tea Sets
Earthenware
1980s Mexican Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Japanese Art Deco Tea Sets
Ceramic
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s English George I Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century German Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Glass, Wood
19th Century English William IV Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Rococo Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate, Copper
Early 20th Century French Tea Sets
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Meiji Tea Sets
Gold
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
20th Century Italian Other Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Rustic Tea Sets
Ceramic
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Quartz, Silver Plate
2010s Italian Other Tea Sets
Blown Glass
1860s British Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Russian Tea Sets
Silver, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Italian Tea Sets
Silver Plate, Copper
Mid-20th Century English Country Tea Sets
Earthenware
Early 20th Century Persian Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century Modern Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Metal
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Nickel
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Czech Tea Sets
Ceramic, Porcelain, Glass
Late 20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic, Ironstone
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1810s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Taisho Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century English Antique Tea Sets
Sheffield Plate
20th Century Japanese Post-Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1920s British Rococo Vintage Tea Sets
Metal, Silver, Silver Plate, Sterling Silver, Sheet Metal, Silver Leaf
1930s Vintage Tea Sets
Silver, Nickel
Late 20th Century English Tea Sets
Malachite
20th Century Art Deco Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century American Egyptian Revival Antique Tea Sets
Silver
19th Century English Renaissance Revival Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English William IV Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Stone, Silver Plate
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.





