Question: When is a comport something else?
Answer: When the glass company calls it something else
Let’s look at a few examples.
Comports or compotes are stemmed bowls, shallow with wide rims, meant to hold candy or flowers or candles. Originally the term “compote” meant stewed fruit, a dessert, which people served in pieces with long pedestal stems for a fancier look.
Amethyst Comport Cambridge Glass Plainware Mulberry
This Rose Point comport (on eBay here) is typical; notice how much wider this is compared to its depth. The stem is quite long and the bowl part is more cupped than some, very nice for candy or nuts.
Cambridge Rose Point 3900 Footed Comport
This electric blue twisted stem comport is from Fostoria, made about 30 years before than the Rose Point one. Its bowl is flared and shallow. (Find it here on Etsy.) You can visualize putting a candle surrounded by greenery in this.
Fostoria Line 2327 Electric Blue Comport with Twisted Stem
Cracker and cheese sets have small, short comports to hold the cheese, usually called a cheese dish or cheese comport.
Fostoria Century Cheese Comport
You might find these without their matching flat plates that originally were used under the cheese dish to hold the crackers.
Fostoria Century Cheese and Cracker Set
Mayo bowls from older patterns often are short, wide bowls, usually deeper and more bowl-like than the usual comports. Usually they were part of a set, including the matching under plate and a ladle.
Twisted Optic Green Footed Mayo Bowl
Mayos from more recent glass patterns often are footed, and have no stem, as with this Fostoria Chintz mayo.
Fostoria Glass Chintz Etched Crystal Mayo Set
Cambridge made many mayo bowls, including this rather unusual one, the 3900 shape etched with Rose Point.
Rose Point Etched Crystal 3900 Footed Mayonnaise Bowl
Jelly servers or honey servers also can be comport shaped. Some, like this Fostoria Chintz set (listed on Etsy here) have long, elegant stems and matching lids. It’s a beautiful set!
Fostoria Chintz Etched Jelly Comport with Lid
I hope this helps explain the difference among these different pieces, all of which are “comports”!