Tableware
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Oak
20th Century American Art Deco Tableware
Glass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Tableware
Travertine
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
1980s North American Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Lucite
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century German Baroque Antique Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Singaporean Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Pewter
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century European Antique Tableware
Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tableware
Stainless Steel
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s French Romantic Tableware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century American American Classical Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Tableware
Plastic
Early 20th Century French Tableware
Silver Plate
1930s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Marble
2010s Argentine Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Pottery, Clay
Late 20th Century Italian Other Tableware
Fruitwood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Metal
2010s Chinese Arts and Crafts Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Wood
1990s French Tableware
Silver Plate
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
2010s Italian Renaissance Revival Tableware
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Porcelain
1960s Vintage Tableware
Ceramic
20th Century Italian Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Silver Plate
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary French Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
1970s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
1930s British Vintage Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century Czech Antique Tableware
Porcelain, Paste
20th Century American Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Tableware
Linen
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.