What is the difference between a comport and a compote?

Nothing, as far as the object goes. Comport is the English variant, compote the French term for the same footed dish, and both spellings persist in the trade. Comport dominates the titles on Sellingantiques. Compote appears occasionally, and tazza, centrepiece and pedestal dish cover the same form again.

Which makers turn up most in this category?

Worcester is the most named origin, in nine of sixty titles, and eight of those are Royal Worcester. Mason's Ironstone accounts for four titles. Beyond that the names scatter. Coalport, Minton, Royal Crown Derby, Meissen, Royal Copenhagen and Wedgwood each appear in small numbers, mostly as single listings rather than a run.

How old are most antique comports for sale?

The dated field runs from 1800 to 1960. "19th Century" is the commonest entry, on twenty listings, with seven more filed as Victorian and a few as Georgian or Regency. Only 24 of the sixty carry a clean year. The 20th century is present but thin, mostly Royal Worcester painted-fruit work dated between 1920 and 1960.

Are comports usually sold singly or in sets?

The single dish is much the commoner thing, sold on its own rather than with the dessert service it came from. Sets do survive. The archive holds a set of four majolica waterlily comports, a Royal Crown Derby comport set, a part dessert service and several pairs, including Minton rabbit comports and two-tier Meissen stands.

What were comports used for at table?

They held fruit, dessert and sweetmeats. Raising the dish on a foot or stem gave the dessert course height, which is how the table was dressed once dessert was served separately from the later 18th century. Larger examples were made for the middle of the table, which is why several listings use centrepiece and comport as the same word.

Why does the title date sometimes differ from the listed date?

The dated field takes a single year, so a range in the title gets rounded into it. A piece titled c1815-1817 is filed as 1800, and one titled c1880-1920 is filed as 1920. The title carries the fuller version. Reading both gives a better sense of where a comport actually sits.