Tea Sets
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Italian Vintage Tea Sets
Glass
20th Century Italian Post-Modern Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
1980s Swedish Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1970s Czech Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s Vintage Tea Sets
Early 19th Century English Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Tea Sets
Pottery
Late 18th Century English Empire Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Plastic
Late 19th Century French Arts and Crafts Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Glass
Mid-20th Century German Scandinavian Modern Tea Sets
Plastic
Late 20th Century Japanese Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Enamel
1960s Central Asian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century East Asian Japonisme Antique Tea Sets
Zinc
1930s English Edwardian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Marble
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Marble
Mid-20th Century Danish Empire Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Marble
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Tea Sets
Brass
18th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century German Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Japanese Showa Tea Sets
Porcelain
18th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1960s Hungarian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Norwegian Vintage Tea Sets
Stoneware
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Glass
1960s Hungarian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Empire Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 20th Century English Tea Sets
Ceramic
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Japanese Showa Tea Sets
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Enamel
Early 20th Century French Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Polish Tea Sets
Porcelain, Glass
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Pewter
Early 1900s French Rustic Antique Tea Sets
Faience
1970s American Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Carrara Marble, Steel
1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century American High Victorian Tea Sets
Ceramic, Paint
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Other Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
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.