Tea Sets
20th Century Chinese Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 20th Century English Tea Sets
Ceramic
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Metal
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Pewter
1930s Bauhaus Vintage Tea Sets
Silver, Silver Plate
20th Century English Edwardian Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century English Edwardian Tea Sets
Pottery
Late 20th Century Japanese Showa Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Austrian Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century German Tea Sets
Porcelain
1940s Japanese Japonisme Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s Japanese Showa Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic, Pottery
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware, Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Danish Empire Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s German Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century British Queen Anne Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Tea Sets
Gold
20th Century Tea Sets
Silver
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Tea Sets
Aluminum
20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Tea Sets
Copper
Late 20th Century Italian Other Tea Sets
Silver
Late 20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Malachite, Silver
1950s Japanese Japonisme Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Earthenware, Cane
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Alpaca
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century American High Victorian Tea Sets
Ceramic, Paint
1980s Italian Vienna Secession Vintage Tea Sets
Metal
1940s Spanish Moorish Vintage Tea Sets
Brass
Late 20th Century Japanese Showa Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Regency Revival Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century Italian Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Tea Sets
Pottery
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Metal
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Art Deco Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1950s Vintage Tea Sets
Terracotta
1960s Finnish Vintage Tea Sets
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Renaissance Revival Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Tea Sets
Metal, Sterling Silver, Silver Plate
20th Century Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century French Tea Sets
Silver
Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Tea Sets
Silver
Early 20th Century Turkish Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century French Islamic Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1970s American Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Tea Sets
Clay
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.