Vintage Table Bowl
When you search for a vintage table bowl, you are looking at domestic silver, glass and oak vessels designed to hold fruit, flowers or sweets.
Vintage Table Bowl
A vintage table bowl covers a wide range of open vessels used for domestic display and serving across dining and drawing rooms. The selection includes Edwardian silver baskets, heavy art nouveau centrepieces, and oak fruit bowls with carved decoration.
Most items you meet on this page date from the Victorian period through to the mid twentieth century, spanning styles from neo-classical silver plate to art deco cut glass. Forms range from low bon bon dishes and salt cellars to large fruit baskets and centrepieces.
How they were made
Silversmiths utilised sterling silver and silver plate, often employing techniques such as piercing, repoussé work, and swing handles on fruit and bread baskets. Heavy gauge metalwork provides the structural integrity needed for larger centrepiece bowls.
Glassmakers combined lead crystal with cut glass patterns, sometimes incorporating coloured enamels, vaseline glass, or uranium content. Wood is represented by turned oak carved with naturalistic motifs like fruiting vines.
Vintage Table Bowl Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for vintage table bowl among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Some Victorian glass bowls contain uranium oxide, making them glow a bright neon green under an ultraviolet blacklight.
What varies in quality
The distinction between standard domestic items and finer pieces lies in the weight of the metal and the depth of the hand-chased decoration. Solid silver and heavy gauge silver plate retain crispness in their floral repoussé rims and pierced galleries.
Glass quality depends on the clarity of the cut and the precision of the moulding, particularly in items featuring blue enamel or overlaid metal mounts. Maker execution across firms like Mappin & Webb or Georg Jensen brings distinct finish levels to handles and fittings.
Viners and Co Sheffield·Georg Jensen·Mappin and Webb·Whitefriars·Elkington·Rene Lalique
The Vintage Table Bowl Glossary
- Repoussé
- Metalworking technique where the design is hammered into relief from the reverse side. This gives floral rims on baskets a tactile, three-dimensional texture.
- Centrepiece
- A large decorative bowl or dish placed in the middle of a dining table for fruit or floral arrangements. These often feature elevated feet or heavy handles.
- Bon Bon Dish
- A small, shallow dish intended for serving small sweets or bonbons. They frequently appear in art nouveau or art deco silver and glass designs.
- Jardiniere
- An ornamental pot or bowl designed to hold live plants or cut flowers. They are commonly constructed from copper, ceramic, or bronze.
- Hallmark
- Official stamp applied to precious metals indicating purity, maker, and assay office. British sterling silver pieces carry these to confirm date and standard.
Vintage Table Bowl: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a vintage table bowl used for?
These vessels were primarily designed for serving fruit, bonbons, or holding floral arrangements on dining and drawing room tables. Many also served functional roles as bread baskets or sugar bowls.
Today, they adapt easily to modern interiors as decorative table centerpieces or containers for everyday items.
How do I date a silver table bowl?
Dating relies heavily on hallmarks stamped into the metal, which indicate the assay office and the year of manufacture. Stylistic clues like art nouveau whiplash lines or art deco geometric patterns also point to specific decades.
Construction methods, such as the transition from old Sheffield plate to later electroplating, help narrow down the period further.
How do I clean silver plate bowls?
Silver plate requires gentle cleaning with a specialised silver cloth or mild polish to avoid wearing through the thin silver layer. Avoid harsh abrasives that can scratch the underlying base metal.
Glass liners and crystal inserts should be washed separately in warm soapy water without submerging mounted metal rims.