Tableware
20th Century Tableware
Silver Plate
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
1960s Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century German Minimalist Tableware
Stainless Steel
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century English Tableware
Porcelain, Paint
Late 19th Century American American Classical Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century French Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Tableware
Linen
Early 2000s French Romantic Tableware
Porcelain
1930s British Vintage Tableware
Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Tableware
Metal, Aluminum
2010s German Tableware
Other
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
2010s German Tableware
Other
2010s German Tableware
Other
2010s German Tableware
Other
2010s German Tableware
Other
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Tableware
Ceramic
1950s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
1910s Danish Art Nouveau Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1930s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
1920s Danish Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tableware
Ceramic
1970s French Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
1970s French Vintage Tableware
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Modern Tableware
Brass
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Tableware
Art Glass
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Alpaca
Mid-19th Century British Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century British High Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver
1950s French Art Deco Vintage Tableware
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Danish Tableware
Porcelain
1930s Danish Vintage Tableware
Silver
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Tableware
Bronze
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Tableware
Copper
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century British Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1870s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Silver Plate
1870s British Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century British George III Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century English Tableware
Crystal, Silver
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tableware
Stainless Steel
1880s English Victorian Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
19th Century Arts and Crafts Antique Tableware
Copper
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Tableware
Silver
1810s English Regency Antique Tableware
Sterling Silver
1990s French Archaistic Tableware
Ceramic
20th Century Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tableware
Stainless Steel
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.