Description: Tazzas/Compotes–“Tazza” is derived from Italian and “Compote” from French. The names have been used interchangeably over the years. Herbert Schiffer used “Tazza” & Jane Wilson “Compote” in their writings. There are two different Canton Tazzas. They are either a late, straight line, thin porcelain, round dish on a high pedestal base or an earlier, rain cloud border, thicker porcelain, diamond shape dish on a low footed base. Both bases are hollow and glazed inside.

This page is devoted to the footed base tazzas. These are quite rare and come in several sizes. Shown here are three examples ranging in size from about 12″ to 14″ long and the footed bases 7/8″ to 1 1/2″ high. We do not know of tazzas with shorter or longer dimensions. They are notable for their 4 sets of 4 scallops on the rim and the 4 flowers on the outsides. As a substantial form they were very well decorated, have a pleasant dark blue coloration and are highly desirable. Schiffer pictures one on page 92 of his book and Wilson on page 50 of her 1977 booklet.

Tradionally, both types of tazzas were used to serve fruit, nuts and candy and are quite decorative. In the past sometimes they were called curry dishes. These footed base ones are not stackable like sometimes is done with the pedestal tazzas.