Description:  “Bonbon” is the French word for candied fruit. “Sweetmeat” is the English version for the same delicacies and earlier usage included little cakes or pastries. These terms can be used interchangeably. “Terrapin”, a word for turtles, was occasionally used as the cover and dish resembled a turtle’s shell.

Covered Bonbon dishes and their stands are quite rare and hard to find with all three pieces in excellent condition thus resulting in high prices for a complete set. Like other 3 piece sets, individual pieces show up and puzzle the finder as to what they are. All three pieces are oval in shape, the top has an inner rim that fits into the top of the dish and the dish fits snugly on the stand. The top has a berry knob. All 3 pieces have the complete Canton scene, in fact, the dish has a scene panel on each side.  Rain cloud borders appear on the top and stand but not on the dish. All bottoms are glazed. Sometimes bonbon dishes are mistaken for soap dishes.

A bonbon dish appears in Jane Wilson’s 1977 booklet on page 44. Herbert Schiffer pictures two on page 98 of his 1975 book.