Tea Sets
1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1870s French Louis XVI Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1950s Italian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Polish Tea Sets
Enamel
1910s Austrian Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century English Art Nouveau Tea Sets
Silver, Pewter
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Pottery
Late 20th Century Japonisme Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 1900s American Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century Italian Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Tea Sets
Silver
Mid-20th Century American Bohemian Tea Sets
Copper
1960s Finnish Vintage Tea Sets
Earthenware
1970s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century European Tea Sets
Porcelain
1910s French Renaissance Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Other
19th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Quartz, Silver Plate
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Other
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Brass
Early 20th Century English Victorian Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Tea Sets
Pewter
20th Century Japanese Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Edwardian Tea Sets
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Classical Greek Tea Sets
Gold
Early 1800s Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century Indian Tea Sets
Silver
1880s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1980s German Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1830s English Rococo Revival Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s English Edwardian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Japanese Art Deco Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century Art Nouveau Tea Sets
Silver
19th Century Antique Tea Sets
Silver
1870s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1960s Hungarian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1890s American Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Tea Sets
Silver
19th Century Indian Anglo Raj Antique Tea Sets
Copper
Early 20th Century Finnish Art Deco Tea Sets
Copper, Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Tea Sets
Ceramic
1980s German Baroque Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century British Tea Sets
Ceramic
1950s German Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century British Regency Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver, Brass
1880s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
18th Century Chinese Antique 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.