XV. Comports, Sweetmeat, Jelly and Custard Glasses
Comports
A comport is a large glass stand upon which (as the name signifies) other things may be carried together. A comport consists of a large or largish glass disc, flat, with a rim to it, upheld upon a thick stem—most often a shouldered stem, in shape resembling an inverted obelisk, rising from a domed and folded foot. An old comport is a rare possession; a modern glass cake-stand, such as confectioners use, is a near approach to it in shape. The use of a comport appears to have been to stand on a dining-table, bearing a number of glasses filled with jelly or sweetmeats.