For decades, dinner time in the USA meant one thing. Sitting around a kitchen table with your family (and perhaps a few friends), and enjoying a tasty meal together. Eating off a nice table, dinner set complete with a plate, fork, knife, spoon, glass(s), napkins, and a centerpiece, was a nightly ritual. Although it is a far rarer event these days, it’s still a great way to enjoy some great conversation, and a nice way to welcome in the evening hours.

In this article we will be exploring the world of one of these components, the humble dinner set. We will be explaining where these sets originated, and if time permits, we will be offering details on some of the finest examples available today.

Civilizations of the ancient world were often identified by the pottery that they created. Archaeologists would often find these items buried in the various sites that they would be combing through. It’s interesting to note that people often valued these items so much that they went so far as to be buried with them.

Dinnerware is often referred to as “China”. Strange name don’t you think? Ever wonder where it came from? There is a logical answer. Years ago dinnerware was made out of porcelain, and porcelain was invented by, you guessed it, the Chinese, over 1000 years ago. It was probably invented by the Tang Dynasty, but for some reason the emperors of the Song Dynasty seem to get the most credit for it. Around 1100 AD (about 1/2 way through the Song Dynasty), the art and skill of porcelain making was being circulated throughout the East. By the time 1400 AD had rolled around, this art form had migrated all the way to Europe.

Because the cost of importing fine dinnerware from China was so expensive, only the very rich could afford it. To remedy this situation, the Europeans started to create their own “China” factories. They did modify the process a bit, incorporating a different mixture of clays and other materials. The result was a “softer China”, one that had a duller or “softer tone” than those products that were being imported from China. Around 1700, in England, another form of “China” was starting to be developed. It was called “Bone China”, and it was made from a mixture of both porcelain clays and bone ash.

In today’s world, most of our collectable and valuable dinnerware is made out of pottery, not the original porcelain. Sometimes referred to as “earthenware”, it was extremely popular during the time of Elvis and the Beatles (the 50′s and 60′s).

What’s the most widely used pottery today? Stoneware is the answer. If you look around it seems to be everywhere. Check out the stores, the restaurants, the hotels and various homes. It’s all around us. Stoneware is made by firing the item at a very high temperature until it’s completely solid, and can therefore hold liquids. The process to create Stoneware was developed in the same place as the process for creating porcelain…China, about 3500 years ago. Some of the most collectable pieces of Stoneware in today’s world were created in the mid 1800′s in the Virginia and New England areas of the United States.

We hope you liked this little history of the dinner set. We will be offering our TOP PICKS in future articles. If you feel that you can’t wait, please visit us on our blog.

Want to find out more about a particular Dinner Set, then visit Diana Richards’s site on how to choose the best Dinner Set for all your needs.