Glass Compotes

The glass footed bowl compote is a tidbit of Old World timelessness. Designed to showcase its namesake iconic French dessert rendered from fruit and sugary syrup, the glass compote elevated the elegance of post-dinner desserts and was eventually used in a wider variety of applications.

The footed bowl was introduced far back in human history, but it was not until more recent times that the elegant compote came into popularity. As glass production became more refined over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries, footed glass bowls with elegant details began to grace refined tables. Luxurious crystal and glass compotes, some with lids, became a centerpiece of sorts for many table settings. Though first intended for serving the eponymous French fruit recipe it is named after, the compote eventually increased its versatility by featuring candies and other delicacies.

A unique 20th-century compote innovation was the creation of the wedding box. Produced by makers such as Fostoria and Westmoreland, these footed and lidded bowls were square in shape and featured brilliant facets of glass, an ideal piece to gift to a newly married couple. Beyond these wedding boxes, compotes continue to be celebrated for their classic craftsmanship and quality.

Quick Facts

• The origins of the compote dessert date to the medieval era, when common contention suggests that sugar-stewed fruit aided in the body's humidity
• Compotes are also known as comports or footed bowls
• One of the most ingenious aspects of Westmoreland's wedding box was that the lid was designed as means to increase the height of the vessel: when placed under the base, the knob would rest inside the base's lower foot to elevate the bowl