Tea Sets
17th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
19th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Tea Sets
Porcelain, Paint
19th Century English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
Late 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Tea Sets
Ceramic
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Tea Sets
Metal
1880s British Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
20th Century Persian Tea Sets
Silver
1790s English Neoclassical Antique Tea Sets
Silver
19th Century English Chinoiserie Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
18th Century English George II Antique Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
1930s English Edwardian Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
18th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century Japanese Tea Sets
Silver
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s Vintage Tea Sets
Early 2000s Dutch Post-Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic, Rubber
1910s French Renaissance Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1950s Polish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Silver, Brass, Enamel
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
1970s German Vintage Tea Sets
Bone
20th Century Tea Sets
Silver
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Leather
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Bohemian Tea Sets
Copper
Early 20th Century British Tea Sets
Ceramic
1880s Japanese Showa Antique Tea Sets
Iron
Early 20th Century Spanish Art Deco Tea Sets
Silver
Late 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1830s English Rococo Revival Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1930s European Art Nouveau Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1920s Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
Late 20th Century Japonisme Tea Sets
Porcelain
1890s German Renaissance Revival Antique Tea Sets
Silver
1910s Austrian Vintage Tea Sets
Ceramic
1910s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Tea Sets
Brass
18th Century Chinese Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Sets
Pottery
1880s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
20th Century Japanese Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Art Nouveau Tea Sets
Silver, Pewter
Antique, New and Vintage Tea Sets
Ready to serve high tea and brunch for your family and friends? Start with the right antique, new or vintage tea set.
Tea is a multicultural, multinational beverage and isn’t confined to any particular lifestyle or age group. It has humble beginnings, and one of its best-known origin stories places the first cups of tea in 2700 B.C. in China, where it was recognized for its medicinal properties. Jump ahead to 17th-century England, when Chinese tea began to arrive at ports in London. During the early 1800s, tea became widely affordable, and the concept of teatime took shape all over England. Today, more than 150 million people reportedly drink tea daily in the United States.
Early tea drinkers enjoyed their beverage in a bowl, and English potters eventually added a handle to the porcelain bowls so that burning your fingers became less of a teatime hazard. With the rise in the popularity of teatime, tea sets, also referred to as tea service, became a hot commodity.
During Queen Victoria’s reign, teakettles and coffeepots were added to tea services that were quite large — indeed, small baked goods were served with your drink back then, and a tea set could include many teacups and saucers, a milk pot and other accessories.
During the early 1920s, a sterling-silver full tea service and tray designed by Tiffany & Co. might include a hot-water kettle on a stand, a coffeepot, teapot, a creamer with a small lip spout, a waste bowl and a bowl for sugar, which the British were stirring into tea as early as the 18th century.
But you don’t have to limit your tea set to Victorian or Art Deco styles — shake up teatime with an artful contemporary service. If the bold porcelain cups and saucers by Italian brand Seletti are too unconventional for your otherwise subdued tea circle, find antique services on 1stDibs from Japan, France and other locales as well as vintage mid-century modern tea sets and neoclassical designs.