Tableware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
Early 2000s French Louis Philippe Tableware
Silver Plate
1940s Italian Vintage Tableware
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
1940s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Carrara Marble, Stainless Steel
1970s British Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Unknown Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Danish Art Nouveau Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Murano Glass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Murano Glass
Mid-20th Century German Art Deco Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Tableware
Porcelain
1940s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Dutch Hollywood Regency Tableware
Bronze
2010s Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
2010s Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tableware
Porcelain
1920s English Vintage Tableware
Sheffield Plate, Stainless Steel
1980s French Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
1990s Italian Tableware
Silver
2010s Italian Tableware
Ceramic
2010s American Organic Modern Tableware
Ceramic, Stoneware
1850s English Early Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Resin
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver, Britannia Standard Silver
Early 20th Century British Victorian Tableware
Ceramic
Early 2000s English Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Quartz
19th Century English Antique Tableware
Paste, Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Tableware
Marble, Carrara Marble
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
Early 2000s Italian Modern Tableware
Glass
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass, Cork
2010s Italian Modern Tableware
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Tableware
Sterling Silver
1940s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century German Hollywood Regency Tableware
Porcelain
2010s Dutch Modern Tableware
Travertine
20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Unknown Tableware
Sterling Silver
1940s American Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
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.