Tableware
21st Century and Contemporary Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1910s German Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Crystal, Metal
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver
20th Century Danish Art Deco Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Mexican Minimalist Tableware
Stone
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s American American Classical Vintage Tableware
Copper
1940s Russian Vintage Tableware
Silver, Enamel
2010s Colombian Tableware
Rattan
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century European Other Tableware
Brass
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s German Victorian Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Earthenware
2010s American Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Tableware
Copper, Enamel
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Crystal
1910s British Vintage Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
1820s English George IV Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s American Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s American Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
2010s American Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
1880s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s French Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
Early 2000s French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tableware
Sheffield Plate
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Country Tableware
Ceramic
1860s English Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Metal
1960s French Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Turkish Islamic Tableware
Silver
Mid-18th Century Irish Georgian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Italian Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 2000s German Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1880s American Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
1970s Italian Vintage Tableware
Crystal
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Modern Tableware
Brass
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s English Art Nouveau Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Swedish Art Nouveau Tableware
Metal, Silver Plate
Antique and Vintage Tableware
While it isn’t always top of mind for some, antique and vintage tableware can enhance even the most informal meal. It has been an intimate part of how we’ve interacted with our food for millennia.
Tableware has played a basic but important role in everyday life. Ancient Egyptians used spoons (which are classified as flatware) made of ivory and wood, while Greeks and Romans, who gathered for banquets involving big meals and entertainment, ate with forks and knives. At the beginning of the 17th century, however, forks were still uncommon in American homes. Over time, tableware has thankfully evolved and today includes increasingly valuable implements.
Tableware refers to the tools people use to set the table, including serving pieces, dinner plates and more. It encompasses everything from the intricate and elaborate to the austere and functional, yet are all what industrial product designer Jasper Morrison might call “Super Normal” — anonymous objects that are too useful to be considered banal.
There are four general categories of tableware — serveware, dinnerware, drinkware and, lastly, flatware, which is commonly referred to as silverware or cutlery. Serveware includes serving bowls, platters, gravy boats, casserole pans and ladles. Most tableware is practical, but it can also be decorative. And decorative objects count as tableware too. Even though they don’t fit squarely into one of the four categories, vases, statues and floral arrangements are traditional centerpieces.
Drinkware appropriately refers to the vessels we use for our beverages — mugs, cups and glasses. There is a good deal of variety that falls under this broad term. For example, your cheerful home bar or mid-century modern bar cart might be outfitted with a full range of vintage barware, which might include pilsner glasses and tumblers. Specialty cocktails are often served in these custom glasses, but they’re still a type of drinkware.
Every meal should be special — even if you’re using earthenware or stoneware for a casual lunch — but perhaps you’re hosting a dinner party to mark a specific event. The right high-quality tableware can bring a touch of luxury to your cuisine. Young couples, for example, traditionally add “fine china,” or porcelain, to their wedding registry as a commemoration of their union and likely wouldn’t turn down exquisite silver made by Tiffany Co. or Georg Jensen.
It’s important to remember, however, that when you’re setting the dining room table to have fun with it. Just as you might mix and match your dining chairs, don’t be afraid to mix new and old or high and low with your tableware. On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage and antique tableware to help elevate your meal as well as the mood and atmosphere of your entire dining room.
Read More
Paul Revere Crafted This Silver Coffee Pot 250 Years Ago
Perhaps best known as a Revolutionary War hero, Revere was also an accomplished silversmith, and this pot is now available on 1stDibs.
From Arne Jacobsen to Zaha Hadid, Top Designers Tackle Tableware
Clever objects like these make feasting even more festive.





