Object Type
Comports are one of many types of dish designed to suit a particular food. They are footed, shallow dishes that were used to present fruit, nuts or sweets and may be part of a table service. Extensive glass table services became increasingly popular towards the end of the 19th century. Cheaply made, in pressed glass, such sets, which were often elaborate, became widely available. This example is in a comparatively restrained design style.
Materials & Making
The technique of press-moulding glass with the aid of a hand-operated machine was first perfected in the United States of America in the early 1820s. It took only two people to shape a measured quantity of hot glass in a heated metal mould. By simply depressing a lever, a metal plunger was lowered into the glass, forcing it into the patterned mould. By the 1830s this method had spread to Europe and Britain, giving rise to stylistic changes and revolutionising the availability of glassware. The technique made the mid-to late 19th century the first period of true mass production. In the 1890s the introduction of steam-powered presses improved quality while cutting costs even further.
People
Comparatively little is known of the history of Molineaux, Webb & Co. Thomas Webb II founded his own glassworks at Kirby Street, Ancoats, outside Manchester, in 1827 and by 1848 he was in partnership with Molineaux (whose forename may also have been Thomas). The earliest firm identification of Molineaux Webb production is in 1864, when they first registered designs. Some of their most successful and highly praised patterns were in a restrained Greek Revival style or in imitation of classic wheel-cut decoration.