Editing Tableware

{{Short description|Items used for setting a table and serving food}}
{{Redirect|Crockery|the township|Crockery Township, Michigan}}
{{Redirect|Dinner service|the meal|Dinner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
[[File:Dining table laid at Chatsworth House.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Formal dining table laid for a large private dinner party at [[Chatsworth House]]]]
[[Image:Warsaw Royal Castle GM (21).JPG|thumb|upright=1.3|Table laid for six at the [[Royal Castle, Warsaw]], (18th–19th century fashion)]]

'''Tableware''' items are the dishware and utensils used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. The term includes [[cutlery]], [[List of glassware|glassware]], serving dishes, serving utensils, and other items used for practical as well as decorative purposes.<ref name=Bloomfield>{{cite book|last1=Bloomfield|first1=Linda|title=Contemporary tableware|date=2013|publisher=A. & C. Black|location=London|isbn=9781408153956}}</ref><ref name="venable">{{cite book |last=Venable |first=Charles L. |url=https://archive.org/details/chinaglassinamer0000unse |title=China and Glass in America, 1880-1980: From Table Top to TV Tray |publisher=Harry N. Abrams |year=2000 |isbn=0-8109-6692-1 |location=New York |display-authors=etal |url-access=registration}}</ref> The quality, nature, variety and number of objects varies according to culture, religion, number of diners, [[cuisine]] and occasion. For example, Middle Eastern, Indian or Polynesian food culture and cuisine sometimes limits tableware to serving dishes, using bread or leaves as individual plates, and not infrequently without use of cutlery. Special occasions are usually reflected in higher quality tableware.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/topic/tableware|title=Tableware |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica }}</ref>
 	
Cutlery is more usually known as ''silverware'' or ''flatware'' in the United States, where ''cutlery'' usually means knives and related cutting instruments; elsewhere cutlery includes all the [[forks]], [[spoon]]s and other silverware items.  Outside the US, ''flatware'' is a term for "open-shaped" dishware items such as [[Plate (dishware)|plates]], dishes and [[bowl]]s (as opposed to "closed" shapes like jugs and vases).  ''Dinnerware'' is another term used to refer to tableware, and ''crockery'' refers to ceramic tableware, today often [[porcelain]] or [[bone china]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Hughes, G. Bernard (George Bernard)|title=English porcelain and bone china|last2=Hughes, Therle|date=1955|publisher=Lutterworth Press|isbn=0-7188-1392-8|location=London|oclc=220307242}}</ref> Sets of dishes are referred to as a ''table service'', ''dinner service'' or ''service set''. [[Table setting]]s or place settings are the dishes, cutlery and glassware used for formal and informal dining. In Ireland, tableware is often referred to as ''delph'', the word being an English language [[Phonetics|phonetic]] spelling of the word ''[[Delft]]'', the town from which so much [[delftware]] came. [[Silver service]] or butler service are methods for a butler or waiter to serve a meal.

''Setting the table'' refers to arranging the tableware, including individual place settings for each diner at the table as well as decorating the table itself in a manner suitable for the occasion. Tableware and table decoration are typically more elaborate for special occasions. Unusual dining locations demand tableware be adapted.

==Materials==
[[File:WLANL - jpa2003 - Gedekte tafel.jpg|thumb|250px|Historic [[pewter]], [[faience]] and glass tableware]]

In recent centuries, flatware is commonly made of [[ceramic]] materials such as [[earthenware]], [[stoneware]], [[bone china]] or [[porcelain]].  The popularity of ceramics is at least partially due to the use of [[ceramic glaze|glazes]] as these ensure the ware is impermeable, reduce the adherence of pollutants and ease washing. In 2020, the global market for ceramic tableware was estimated to be worth $US2.22&nbsp;billion, with the top five exporting countries being China ($US834&nbsp;million), Portugal ($US215&nbsp;million), Germany ($US113&nbsp;million), Thailand ($US110&nbsp;million) and United Kingdom ($US106&nbsp;million).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://oec.world/en/profile/hs/ceramic-tableware | title=Ceramic Tableware &#124; OEC }}</ref>

[[Banana leaf|Banana leaves]] are used in some [[South Asia]]n and [[Southeast Asia]]n cultures. [[File:Lunch from Karnataka on a plantain leaf.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Food served on a banana leaf in [[Karnataka]], India]]

Tableware can also made of other materials, such as wood (including [[lacquer]]), metals (such as [[pewter]]), [[tempered glass]], or [[plastic]]s (such as [[Acrylate polymer|acrylic]]s, [[melamine]] or [[polypropylene]]).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/melamine-tableware-market-latest-research-report-2023-2028-2023-01-28 | title=Melamine Tableware Market Latest Research Report 2023-2028 }}</ref> Before mass-produced tableware, it was fashioned from available materials, such as wood. Industrialisation and developments in ceramic manufacture made inexpensive tableware available. It is sold either by the piece or as a matched set for a number of diners, normally four, six, eight or twelve place settings.

Cutlery is normally made of metal, especially [[stainless steel]], though large pieces such as [[ladle (spoon)|ladle]]s for serving may be of wood. The use of porcelain  for [[Chinese spoon|spoons]] is popular in some Asian countries. [[Chopsticks]] are made of wood, [[bamboo]], metal, [[ivory]] and plastic.
[[File:Tea served in Kulhar in India.jpg|thumb|250px|Tea served in a ''kulhar'']]

[[Disposable tableware]] includes all [[disposable]] (single-use) tableware. These are often made from 
[[paper cup|paper]], [[plastic cup|plastic]], [[wood]] or [[bagasse]]. Due to environment concerns, single-use plastic plates and cutlery will be banned in England from October 2023.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/14/october-start-set-for-ban-in-england-of-single-use-plastic-tableware | title=October start set for ban in England of single-use plastic tableware | newspaper=The Guardian | date=14 January 2023 | last1=Clinton | first1=Jane }}</ref> A similar ban has been place in the EU since July 2021.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/14/include-biodegradable-plastic-in-uk-single-use-cutlery-ban-say-campaigners | title=Include biodegradable plastic in English single-use cutlery ban, say campaigners | newspaper=The Guardian | date=14 December 2022 | last1=Laville | first1=Sandra }}</ref> Canada is also planning such legislation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/canada-banning-plastic-bags-straws-cutlery-and-other-single-use-items-by-the-end-of-2021-1.5135968|title=Canada banning plastic bags, straws, cutlery and other single-use items by the end of 2021|first=Rachel|last=Aiello|date=October 7, 2020|website=CTVNews}}</ref> A ''[[kulhar]]'' is a traditional handle-less [[pottery]] cup from South Asia that is typically undecorated and unglazed, and is meant to be disposable.<ref name="jad64hajaw">{{Citation | title=Indian folk arts and crafts | author=Jasleen Dhamija| year=1970|author-link=Jasleen Dhamija | publisher= National Book Trust, India, 1992 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=meAbAAAAIAAJ | quote= The simple clay kulhar, which is made in thousands as an inexpensive container for curd, sweets, tea or water, and after being used only once is thrown away, has the same form as those excavated at the Indus Valley or ...}}</ref>

==History==
===Plates and other vessels===
[[File:British Museum Royal Gold Cup.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Royal Gold Cup]], {{Nowrap|23.6&nbsp;cm}} high, {{Nowrap|17.8&nbsp;cm}} across; weight 1.935&nbsp;kg, [[British Museum]]. [[Saint Agnes]] appears to her friends in a vision. Before 1391, when it was owned by the King of France. One of a handful of medieval survivals, solid gold with enamels.]]
The earliest pottery in cultures around the world does not seem to have included flatware, concentrating on pots and jars for storage and cooking.  Wood does not survive well in most places, and though archaeology has found few wooden plates and dishes from [[prehistory]], they may have been common, once the tools to fashion them were available.

Ancient elites in most cultures preferred flatware in precious metals ("plate") at the table; China and Japan were two major exceptions, using [[lacquerware]] and later fine pottery, especially [[porcelain]]. In China, bowls have always been preferred to plates.  In Europe, [[pewter]] was often used by the less-well-off (and eventually, the poor), and silver or gold was preferred by wealthier individuals.  Religious considerations influenced the choice of materials, as well: [[Muhammad]] spoke against using gold at table, as the contemporary elites of Persia and the [[Byzantine Empire]] did, and this greatly encouraged the growth of [[Islamic pottery]].

In Europe, the elites dined off metal, usually silver for the rich and [[pewter]] for the middling classes, from the ancient Greeks and Romans until the 18th century.

A trencher (from [[Old French]] ''tranchier'' 'to cut') was commonly used in [[medieval cuisine]]. A trencher was originally a flat round of (usually stale) bread used as a [[Plate (dishware)|plate]], upon which the food could be placed to eat.<ref>{{cite book|title=Banquets set forth: banqueting in English Renaissance drama|first=Chris|last=Meads|publisher=Manchester University Press|year=2001|pages=47|isbn=0-7190-5567-9}}</ref> At the end of the meal, the trencher could be eaten with sauce, but could also be given as [[alms]] to the poor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medievalcookery.com/notes/trenchers.html|date=September 2020|title=Trenchers}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|id=wrroWt3xjVU?t=410|title=Medieval Misconceptions: FEASTS, DINING, ETIQUETTE and FOOD, filmed at the Abbey Medieval Festival, part of the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology}}</ref> Similar use of bread is still found with the [[bread bowl]].

The trencher was not fully replaced in France until the 1650s,<ref name="Strong, 226">Strong, 226</ref> although in Italy [[maiolica]] was used from the 15th century.  Orders survive for large services.  At an [[Este family]] wedding feast in [[Ferrara]] in 1565, 12,000 plates painted with the Este arms were used, though the "top table" probably ate off precious metal.<ref>Strong, 166–167; the wedding was between [[Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara]] and [[Barbara of Austria]]</ref>

Possession of tableware has to a large extent been determined by individual wealth; the greater the means, the higher was the quality of tableware that was owned and the more numerous its pieces.  The materials used were often controlled by [[sumptuary law]]s.  In the late Middle Ages and for much of the [[Early Modern period]] much of a great person's disposable assets were often in "plate", vessels and tableware in precious metal, and what was not in use for a given meal was often displayed on a ''dressoir de parement'' or ''buffet'' (similar to a large [[Welsh dresser]]) against the wall in the dining hall. At the wedding of [[Philip the Good]], [[Duke of Burgundy]], and [[Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy|Isabella of Portugal]] in 1429, there was a dresser 20 feet long on either side of the room, each with five rows of plate;<ref>Strong, 96–98. Strong says 1429, the year the proxy wedding took place. The bride arrived by sea in late 1429, but the formal marriage ceremony was not until January 1430.</ref> A comparable display on three ''dressoirs'' could be seen at the State Banquet in [[Buckingham Palace]] for the US President, [[Donald Trump]] in 2019.  Inventories of King [[Charles V of France]] (r. 1364–1380) record that he had 2,500 pieces of plate.<ref>Strong, 97</ref>

Plate was often melted down to finance wars or building, or until the 19th century just for remaking in a more fashionable style, and hardly any of the enormous quantities recorded in the later Middle Ages survives.<ref name="Osborne, 733">Osborne, 733</ref> The French [[Royal Gold Cup]] now in the [[British Museum]], in solid gold and decorated with enamel and pearls, is one of few secular exceptions.  Weighing more than two kilos, it was perhaps passed around for ceremonial toasts.<ref name="Osborne, 733"/> Another is the much plainer English silver [[Lacock Cup]], which has survived as it was bequeathed to a church early on, for use as a chalice.

The same is true for French silver from the 150 years before the [[French Revolution]], when French styles, either originals or local copies, were used by all the courts of Europe.  London silversmiths came a long way behind, but were the other main exporters. French silver now survives almost entirely in the form of exported pieces, like the [[Germain Service]] for the [[King of Portugal]].<ref>Strong, 237</ref>

[[File:Table Service MET DT11573.jpg|thumb|250px|A {{circa|1785}}–90 [[Chinese export porcelain]] dinner service for the American market]]

In London in the 13th century, the more affluent citizens owned fine furniture and silver, "while those of straiter means possessed only the simplest pottery and kitchen utensils." By the later 16th century, "even the poorer citizens dined off pewter rather than wood" and had plate, jars and pots made from "green glazed earthenware".<ref name=Ackroyd>{{cite book|last1=Peter Ackroyd|title=London: the biography|date=2003|publisher=Anchor books|location=New York|isbn=0385497717|edition=1st Anchor Books|author1-link=Peter Ackroyd}}p.55, 96</ref> The nobility often used their arms on [[heraldic china]].
[[File:Henrich petman. caffettiera in argento, viborg 1779-1799 circa.JPG|thumb|250px|18th century coffee pot, [[Vyborg]], Russia]]

The final replacement of silver tableware with porcelain as the norm in French aristocratic dining had taken place by the 1770s.<ref>Strong, 232–233</ref> After this the enormous development of European porcelain and cheaper fine [[earthenware]]s like [[faience]] and [[creamware]], as well as the resumption of large imports of [[Chinese export porcelain]], often [[armorial porcelain]] decorated to order, led to matching "china" services becoming affordable by an ever-wider public. By 1800 cheap versions of these were often brightly decorated with [[transfer printing]] in blue, and were beginning to be affordable by the better-off working-class household.  Until the mid-19th century the American market was largely served by imports from Britain, with some from China and the European continent.

The introduction to Europe of hot drinks, mostly but not only tea and coffee, as a regular feature of eating and entertaining, led to a new class of tableware. In its most common material, various types of ceramics, this is often called [[teaware]]. It developed in the late 17th century, and for some time the serving pots, milk jugs and sugar bowls were often in silver, while the cups and saucers were ceramic, often in [[Chinese export porcelain]] or its [[Japanese export porcelain|Japanese equivalent]].<ref>Osborne, 736; Strong, 225–226</ref> By the mid 18th century matching sets of European "china" were usual for all the vessels, although these often did not include plates for cake etc. until the next century.  This move to local china was rather delayed by the tendency of some early types of European [[soft-paste porcelain]] to [[thermal shock|break]] if too hot liquid was poured into it.

===Cutlery===
[[File:Chinese spoons.jpg|thumb|250px|A pair of Chinese porcelain spoons]]
The knife is the oldest type of cutlery; early ones were normally carried by the individual at all times.  Forks and spoons came later, and are initially only for the wealthy, who typically carried their own personal set. After the Romans, who made great use of spoons, joined by [[fork]]s later,<ref>Strong, 33</ref> there were only knives and perhaps wooden spoons for most of the Middle Ages.  It was only in the 17th century that hosts among the elite again began to lay out cutlery at the table,<ref name="Strong, 226"/> although at an Italian banquet in 1536 for [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]], it is recorded that each guest was provided with knife, spoon and fork, evidently a rarity.<ref>Strong, 170</ref> The table fork was revived in Italy in the 16th century, and was described for his English readers by [[Thomas Coryat]] in the 1590s as "not used in any other country that I saw in my travels".<ref>Strong, 167</ref> In England and France, it only became common after the 1660s, even in the court of Louis XIV,<ref>Strong, 168 (France); Osborne, 736 (England)</ref> and for a while seems to have mostly been used by ladies, and for especially messy food, like fruits in [[syrup]].<ref>Strong, 168–170</ref>

===Chopsticks===
[[File:Marcosticks-Sushi picked up by chopsticks with Finger Pistol grip-IMG 2559-2pt-scaled.png|thumb|250px|A pair of chopticks holding a piece a sushi]]
Chopsticks ({{zh|c={{lang|zh|筷子}}}} or {{lang|zh|箸}}; [[Pinyin]]: ''kuaizi'' or ''zhu'') are shaped pairs of equal-length sticks that have been used as both [[Kitchen utensil|kitchen]] and [[List of eating utensils|eating utensil]]s in much of [[East Asia|East]] and Southeast Asia for over three millennia.  Traditionally wood, especially bamboo, although other materials such as plastic or metal are also used.  Usually, they have a square profile at the slightly thicker end held in the hand, but are round at the other end, that touches the food.

Chopsticks have been used since at least the [[Shang dynasty]] (1766–1122 BCE). However, the [[Han dynasty]] historian [[Sima Qian]] wrote that it is likely that chopsticks were also used in the preceding [[Xia dynasty]] and even the earlier [[Erlitou culture]], although finding archeological evidence from this era is incredibly difficult.<ref>H.T. Huang (Huang Xingzong). ''Fermentations and Food Science.''  Part 5 of ''Biology and Biological Technology'', Volume 6 of Joseph Needham, ed., ''Science and Civilisation in China'',  (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000  {{ISBN|0-521-65270-7}}), p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=FgtFxedkgbcC&q=chopsticks 104]</ref>

Though originating in China, chopsticks later spread to Japan, Korea, Tibet, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Chopsticks have become more accepted in connection with Asian food in the West, especially in cities with significant Asian diaspora communities.

===Table decoration===
[[File:Zuckerplastik zur Freiheitsidee 1880 Zucker-Museum.jpg|thumb|Sugar sculpture (1880)]]
Tableware is generally the functional part of the settings on dining tables but great attention has been paid to the purely decorative aspects, especially when dining is regarded as part of entertainment such as in [[banquet]]s given by important people or special events, such as State occasions.<ref name=Savage>{{cite book|last1=Savage|first1=George|title=Dictionary of Antiques|url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofanti0000sava|url-access=registration|date=1970|publisher=Barrie & Jenkins|location=London|isbn=0214652459|pages=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofanti0000sava/page/419 419–420]|edition=[2nd rep.]}}</ref> Table decoration may be ephemeral and consist of items made from confectionery or wax; substances commonly employed in Roman banqueting tables of the 17th century. During the reign of [[George III of the United Kingdom]], ephemeral table decoration was done by men known as "table-deckers" who used sand and similar substances to create [[marmotinto]] works (sand painting) for single-use decoration.<ref name=Savage/> In modern times, ephemeral table decorations continue to be made from sugar or carved from [[Ice sculpture|ice]].

The [[porcelain]] figurine began in early 18th-century Germany as a permanent replacement for [[sugar sculpture]]s on the dining table.

In wealthy countries, table decorations for the aristocracy were often made of precious metals such as [[silver-gilt]]. The model ship or [[nef (metalwork)|nef]] was popular throughout the Renaissance. One of the most famous table decorations is the ''[[Cellini Salt Cellar]]''. Ephemeral and silver table decorations were sometimes replaced with porcelain after it was made in Europe from the 18th century onwards.

==Western style==
[[File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0006279 017 Porträt einer alten Frau.jpg|thumb|left|Setting the table for a family meal, [[Leipzig]] (1952)]]

===Table settings===
{{Further|Place setting}}
A table setting in Western countries is mainly in one of two styles: ''[[service à la russe]]'' (French for "in the [[Russian Empire|Russian style]]"), where each course of the meal is brought out in specific order; and ''[[service à la française]]'' (French for "in the French style"), where all the courses for the meal are arranged on the table and presented at the same time that guests are seated. ''Service à la russe'' has become the custom in most restaurants, whereas ''[[service à la française]]'' is the norm in family settings.

Place settings for ''service à la russe'' dining are arranged according to the number of courses in the meal. The tableware is arranged in a particular order. With the first course, each guest at the table begins by using the tableware placed on the outside of place setting. As each course is finished the guest leaves the used cutlery on the used plate or bowl, which are removed from the table by the server. In some case, the original set is kept for the next course. To begin the next course, the diner uses the next item on the outside of the place setting, and so on. Forks are placed on the left of a dinner plate, knives to the right of the plate, and spoons to the outer right side of the place setting.

=== Flatware, plates and bowls ===
[[File:Formal 01.jpg|thumb|''Service à la russe'' formal place setting showing glassware for a range of beverages]]
[[File:Palais-Niel couverts.JPG|thumb|Table laid out for a banquet in [[Toulouse]] at the Palais Niel (2010)<br>'''''Plates''''' Dinner plate with rolled table napkin; small bread plate above forks.<br>
'''''Glasses''''' Small glass for water, larger one behind for red wine, and smaller wine glass for white wine.<br>
'''''Cutlery''''' (from the outside toward the plate) Fish cutlery (knife and fork, as fish will be served without any sauce, otherwise it would be a fish spoon (cuillère à gourmet)); meat cutlery and cheese or fruit cutlery, the end of the knife rests on a knife rest. Above the plate, dessert cutlery (spoon and fork). ]]

Items of tableware include a variety of [[Plate (dishware)|plates]], [[Bowl (vessel)|bowls]]; or cups for individual diners and a range of serving dishes to transport the food from the kitchen or to separate smaller dishes. Plates include [[Charger (table setting)|charger plates]] as well as specific dinner plates, lunch plates, dessert plates, salad plates or side plates. Bowls include those used for soup, cereal, pasta, fruit or dessert.  A range of [[saucer]]s accompany plates and bowls, those designed to go with teacups, coffee cups, demitasses and cream soup bowls. There are also individual covered casserole dishes. In the 19th century, crescent-shaped [[bone dish]]es could be used to hold side-salad or to discard bones.<ref>{{cite book |last=Buchanan Longstreet |first=Abby |date=1890 |title=Dinners, Ceremonious and Unceremonious and the Modern Methods of Serving Them |url=https://archive.org/details/dinnersceremoni00longgoog/page/n65/mode/2up |publisher=F.A. Stokes & Brother |page=59}}</ref>

Warewashing is essential but can be costly regardless of whether done by hand or in a [[dishwasher]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=Chris Thomas |author2=Ed Norman |author3=Edwin J. Norman |author4=Costas Katsigris  |date=2013 |title=Design and Equipment for Restaurants and Foodservice: A Management View |publisher= Wiley |isbn=9781118297742 |page=85}}</ref> Dishes come in standard sizes, which are set according to the manufacturer. They are similar throughout the industry. Plates are standardised in descending order of [[diameter]] size according to function. One standard series is [[charger (table setting)|charger]] (12 inches); [[dinner plate]] (10.5 inches); [[dessert plate]] (8.5 inches) [[salad plate]] (7.5 inches); [[side plate]], [[tea plate]] (6.75 inches).

===Drinkware===
{{Main|Glassware|Lead crystal}}

Glasses and [[mug]]s of various types are an important part of tableware, as beverages are important parts of a meal. Vessels to hold alcoholic beverages such as [[Wine glass|wine]], whether [[Red wine|red]], [[White wine|white]], [[Sparkling wine|sparkling]] tend to be quite specialised in form, with for example [[Port wine]] glasses, [[beer glass]]es, [[Snifter|brandy balloons]], [[aperitif]] and [[liqueur]] glasses all having different shapes. [[Water glass]]es, juice glasses and [[hot chocolate]] mugs are also differentiated. Their appearance as part of the tableware depends on the meal and the style of table arrangement.

Tea and coffee tend to involve strong social rituals and so [[teacup]]s and, coffee cups (including [[demitasse]] cups) have a shape that depends on the culture and the social situation in which the drink is taken.

===Cutlery===
{{Main|Cutlery|List of eating utensils|Silver (household)}}
{{Category see also|Silversmiths by nationality}}

Cutlery is an important part of tableware. A basic formal place setting will usually have a dinner plate at the centre, resting on a [[charger (table setting)|charger]]. The rest of the place setting depends upon the first course, which may be soup, salad or fish.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cunningham|first=Marion|title=The Fannie Farmer Cookbook|year=1996|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.|isbn=0679450815|page=[https://archive.org/details/fanniefarmercook1996cunn/page/817 817]|url=https://archive.org/details/fanniefarmercook1996cunn/page/817}}</ref>
* If [[soup]] is the first course, to the left of the dinner [[Plate (dishware)|plate]], moving clockwise, are placed a small salad fork to the left of the dinner plate; a large dinner fork to the left of the salad fork; a side plate above the forks; a wine or water glass above and to the right of the dinner plate; a large dinner knife to the right of the dinner plate; a smaller butter knife to the right of the dinner knife; a dinner spoon to the right of the knives; a [[soup spoon]] to the right of the dinner spoon.
* If [[salad]] is the first course, the soup spoon is skipped. The dinner fork is placed immediately left of the dinner plate; the salad fork is placed on the outer left side of the place setting.

In either arrangement, the napkin may either rest folded underneath the [[fork]]s, or it may be folded and placed on the dinner plate.

When more courses are being served, place settings may become more elaborate and cutlery more specialised. Examples include fruit spoon or fruit knife, cheese knife, and [[pastry fork]]. Other types of cutlery, such as boning forks, were used when formal meals included dishes that have since become less common. Carving knives and forks are used to carve roasts at the table.

===Serving dishes===
[[File:Service à thé à la menthe .JPG|thumb|Middle-Eastern service for [[Maghrebi mint tea|mint tea]]]]

A wide range of serving dishes are used to transport food from kitchen to table or to serve it at table, to make food service easier and cleaner or more efficient and pleasant. Serving dishes include: [[butter dish]]es; [[casserole]]s; fruit bowls; [[ramekin]]s or lidded serving bowls; [[compote]]s; [[Pitcher (container)|pitchers]] or [[Jug (container)|jugs]]; [[Platter (dishware)|platters]], [[salver]]s, and [[tray]]s; [[salt and pepper shakers]] or [[salt cellar]]s; [[Sauce boat|sauce or gravy boats]]; [[tureen]]s and [[tajine]]s; vegetable or [[salad]] bowls.

A range of items specific to the serving of tea or coffee also have long cultural traditions. They include [[teapot]]s and [[coffee pot]]s as well as [[samovar]]s, [[Sugar bowl (dishware)|sugar bowls]]; [[Creamer (vessel)|milk or cream jugs]].

=== Serving utensils ===
Serving utensils are implements used to move food from serving dishes to individual plates. In [[Types of restaurant#Family style|family-style dining]], these might include [[serving spoon]]s. A [[fish slice]] is an early example of a specialty [[silver service]] utensil used in waiter or butler service.<ref name="Victoria and Albert Museum">{{Cite web |title=Serving up: silver slices · V&A |url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/serving-up-silver-slices/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=[[Victoria and Albert Museum]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Place markers ===
Place markers are used to designate assigned seats to guests.  They are typically used at large formal functions such as weddings, banquets for dignitaries, politicians or diplomats as well as on special occasions such as large children's parties. Some are collectible.<ref>{{cite web|title=Place marker|url=http://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/1989.114|publisher=Horniman Museum and Gardens}}</ref>

==Chinese style==
[[File:Chinese Cutlery.jpg|thumb|A place setting for a Chinese meal]]
Chinese [[table setting]]s are traditional in style. Table setting practices in Japan and other parts of East Asia have been influenced by Chinese [[Table (furniture)|table]] setting customs.<ref name="KotschevarLuciani">{{cite book|author1=Kotschevar, Lendal H.  |author2=Valentino Luciani |name-list-style=amp |title=Presenting Service: The Ultimate Guide for the Foodservice Professional|url=https://archive.org/details/presentingservic00kots  |url-access=limited  |year=2006|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9780471475781|page=[https://archive.org/details/presentingservic00kots/page/n133 119]}}</ref> The emphasis in Chinese table settings is on displaying each individual food in a pleasing way, usually in separate bowls or dishes. Formal table settings are based upon the arrangements used in a family setting, although they can become extremely elaborate with many dishes. Serving bowls and dishes are brought to the table, where guests can choose their own portions. Formal [[Chinese restaurant]]s often use a large turning wheel in the centre of the table to rotate food for easier service.

In a family setting, a meal typically includes a ''fan'' dish, which constitutes the meal's base (much like bread forms the base of various sandwiches), and several accompanying mains, called ''cai'' dish (''choi'' or ''seoung'' in Cantonese). More specifically, ''fan'' usually refers to cooked rice, but can also be other staple grain-based foods. If the [[meal]] is a light meal, it will typically include the base and one main dish. The base is often served directly to the guest in a bowl, whereas main [[Dish (food)|dishes]] are chosen by the guest from shared serving dishes on the table.<ref>{{cite book|last=Newman|first=Jacqueline M.|title=Food Culture in China|year=2004|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780313325816|page=105}}</ref>

; Place setting
An "elaborate" formal meal would include the following place setting:<ref name="KotschevarLuciani"/>
* Centre plate, about 6 inches in diameter
* Rice bowl, placed to the right of the centre plate
* Small cup of tea, placed above the plate or rice bowl
* [[Chopsticks]] to the right of the centre plate, on a [[chopstick rest]]
* A long-handled spoon on a spoon rest, placed to the left of the chopsticks
* Small condiment dishes, placed above the centre plate
* Soup bowl, placed to the left above the centre plate
* A soup [[spoon]], inside the soup bowl

==Japanese style==
[[File:New Year sake set with images of cranes from Japan, lacquer on wood, late 19th century.JPG|thumb|New Year [[sake]] set with images of cranes, lacquer on wood (Japan, late 19th century)]]
[[File:Japan table setting.jpg|thumb|A Japanese table setting.]]

Japanese ceramic tableware industry is many centuries old. Unlike in Western cultures, where tableware is often produced and bought in matching sets, traditional Japanese tableware is set on the table so that each dish complements the type of food served in it. Since Japanese meals normally include several small amounts of each food per person, this means that each person has a place setting with several different small dishes and bowls for holding individual food and condiments. The emphasis in a Japanese table setting is on enhancing the appearance of the food, which is partially achieved by showing contrasts between the items. Each bowl and dish may have a different shape, colour or pattern.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lowry|first=Dave|title=The Connoisseur's Guide to Sushi: Everything You Need to Know about Sushi Varieties and Accompaniments, Etiquette and Dining Tips, and More|year=2010|publisher=ReadHowYouWant.com|isbn=9781458764140|pages=313–4}}</ref>

; Place setting
A basic complete place setting for one person in Japan would include the following:<ref>{{cite book|last=Moriyama|first=Naomi|title=Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother's Tokyo Kitchen|year=2006|publisher=Random House Digital |isbn=9780385339988|pages=74–5}}</ref>
* Hot noodle bowl
* Rice bowl
* Soup bowl
* Two to three shallow 3- to 5-inch diameter dishes
* Two to three 3- to 5-inch diameter, 1- to 3-inch-deep bowls
* Two square or rectangular pieces, traditionally served for serving fish
* Three 2- to 3-inch diameter condiment plates
* [[Zaru]] (Cold noodle tray with bamboo strainer)
* Dipping sauce cup
* [[Chopstick]]s and [[chopstick rest]]

Not all of these plates and bowls would be necessary for one meal. A rice bowl, a soup bowl, two or three small dishes with accompanying foods, and two or three condiment dishes for person would be typical. Various serving bowls and platters would also be set on a table for a typical meal, along with a soy sauce [[cruet]], a small pitcher for [[tempura]] or other sauce, and a tea setting of tea pot, tea cups and tea cup saucers.

==Adaptations==

Tableware for special circumstances has to be adapted.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}} Dining in the outdoors, for example, whether for recreational purposes, as on a [[picnic]] or as part of a journey, project or mission requires specialised tableware. It must be portable, more robust and if possible, lighter in weight than tableware used indoors. It is usually carefully packed for transportation to the place where it will be used.
{{multiple image
 | align     = center
 | direction = horizontal
 | header_align = center
 | header    =
 | image1    = Bonhams - The Paris Sale 2012 - Panier à pique-nique pour quatre personnes par G W Scott & Sons - 1909 - 002.jpg
 | width1    = 180
 | alt1      =
 | caption1  = Carefully packed tableware in a picnic set for four persons (1909)
 | image2    = STS-129 crew members gather for a meal at the galley in the Unity node of the International Space Station.jpg
 | width2    = 180
 | alt2      =
 | caption2  = [[STS-129]] crew members using specialised tableware for a meal in the [[International Space Station]] (2009)
 | image3    = Turkish Airlines Business Class meal, Istanbul—Cairo.jpg
 | width3    = 180
 | alt3      =
 | caption3  = Business-class [[airline meal]] with tightly arranged plates, single-service condiments and serving tray.
 }}

== See also ==
* {{Category|Ceramics manufacturers}}
* {{Category|Types of pottery decoration}}
*[[Dishwashing]]
*[[Dishwashing machine]]
*[[Edible tableware]]
*[[List of glassware]]
*[[Tupperware]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== References ==
*Osborne, Harold (ed), ''The Oxford Companion to the Decorative Arts'', 1975, OUP, {{ISBN|0198661134}}
*[[Roy Strong|Strong, Roy]], ''Feast: A History of Grand Eating'', 2002, Jonathan Cape, {{ISBN|0224061380}}

== Further reading ==
* Von Drachenfels, Suzanne (2000). ''The Art of the Table: A Complete Guide to Table Setting, Table Manners, and Tableware''. Simon & Schuster. {{ISBN|0-684-84732-9}}.

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Tableware}}
* {{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Plate |volume=21 |pages=789–804 |first=Edward Alfred |last=Jones |short=1}}

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[[Category:Tableware| ]]
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[[Category:Dinnerware designers]]
[[Category:Domestic implements]]
[[Category:History of ceramics]]
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[[Category:Serving and dining]]
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