A Trusty Compote: The Little Black Dress of Centerpieces

courtesy of Martha Stewart 
 Two compotes of differing heights help turn three pumpkins into an interesting focal point

Compotes are very useful--not the poached fruit variety, though those are tasty, certainly;  I'm talking about those long stemmed dishes. Once you notice them, you start seeing them on centerpieces everywhere. This is because they are incredibly handy--especially for those of us who are creatively challenged.

courtesy of Martha Stewart 
 Again, one compote helps vary the height of the centerpiece, making it more interesting

Case in point, the two shots from Martha Stewart, above. Without the compotes, what would you have? Three pumpkins of approximately the same size. Yawn. But add a compote and you suddenly have a charming focal point. Best of all, trusty compotes can be used again and again, for every holiday and celebration.

Sterling silver compote, at auction in PA on October 24th, estimate $250-400.

If you're going to get one compote, make it a silver one. Sterling sliver compotes are usually weighted for added heft and stability and make a wonderful heirloom piece. Silver plated compotes are a very affordable way to dress up a table. Several nice examples are coming up at Dargate Auction Galleries in McKee Rocks, PA on October 24th. Note the vastly different estimates here. By and large, the estimates for sterling items are driven by the value of the weight of the silver, though design quality matters as well, of course.

Two sterling compotes, at auction in PA on October 24th, estimate $60-80.

courtesy of Martha Stewart 
 Silver compotes, combined with silver pumpkins makes for a surprisingly elegant Halloween display.

Three fluted sterling compotes,
at Alex Cooper in Towsand, Maryland on October 24th, estimate $200-300.

courtesy: House Beautiful

 Bronze, gilt-bronze, glass and simple white porcelain work well too: anything that is neutral enough to coordinate with a variety of place settings and decorations. Above, designer Eddie Ross has stacked two contemporary milk glass compotes on top of one another to create a visually arresting centerpiece. Below, a Tiffany Studios bronze compote is not in the best condition, which makes it perfect for more rustic displays containing natural elements such as pine cones or pomegranates.

Bronze Tiffany Studios compote, at auction in Portland on October 24th,, estimate $150-250.

The word compote is French in origin and taken from the word composte, meaning mixture. At auction, you may come across items that appear very similar to compotes and are referred to as tazza or tazze (plural), the Italian word for cup. Though the words are often used interchangeably (as is the case below), with tazze, the bowl part is typically flatter, more like a plate, than with a compote.

Sterling silver tazza, at auction in Naples Florida on October 22nd, estimate $550-650.

Either item is so versatile, its use is truly limited only by your imagination. You can use them as serving dishes, naturally--their original purpose--but you'll probably have more fun with them as display stands.

courtesy of Martha Stewart 
 Compotes? Tazze? Whatever you call them, these stands make this interesting display stand even of a standout.

The creative talents at Martha Stewart seem to love compotes just as much as I do and their editorial pages are often filled with creative ways to use them.

Gorgeous crystal and gilt metal centerpiece compote, at auction in Naples on
October 22nd, estimate $300-500.

Perhaps my favorite compote trick that I picked up in the pages of Martha Stewart Living is as a support stand for mini trees. Two great examples appear below. (These aren't as hard as they look: the key elements are a cone shaped piece of Styrofoam and a hot glue gun.) But however you choose to use them, be sure to bid on some compotes soon--your holiday table will be better because of it!

courtesy of Martha Stewart
Two red glass compotes hold mini pine cone trees, for a beautiful but simple centerpiece.

Mini apples and princess pine are transformed into something quite memorable.
Learn how to make these trees for your compotes in Martha Stewart's Decorating for the Holidays.