Tableware is the collective term for the objects used to serve and eat food and drink at the table, including plates, dishes, bowls, tureens, sauce boats, cutlery, glassware, cruets and serving pieces. It is made in a wide range of materials, from porcelain, earthenware, stoneware and glass to silver, silver plate, pewter and wood.
The development of tableware reflects changing dining customs. During the eighteenth century, the introduction of tea, coffee and chocolate created new forms, while the move to service à la russe in the nineteenth century, with courses served in sequence, multiplied the number of specialised plates, glasses and implements on a fashionable table. Famous makers include Wedgwood, Spode, Minton, Royal Worcester and Meissen in ceramics, and leading silversmiths and electroplaters such as Elkington. Antique tableware is valued for its quality, decoration and historical interest, and complete matching services in good condition are particularly sought after, though individual pieces also make attractive decorative displays.
