Lon Knickerbocker of Dansville, NY gives this informative answer.

Alan, this is actually quite funny as I asked this same question years ago when I first heard the word “Tazza”

This is how it was explained to me. A compote is a pedastaled formed item comprising of a solid base with some sort of stem and a deep bowl on top, it can have a lid or not. The “term” comport means essentially the same thing and is often thought of as a earlier word from days gone by. Another member of the group in this discussion suggested the difference was in the cover, meaning the one with a cover was called one thing and the one without, the other, however he didn’t know which was which.

On a personal note, years ago many older auctioneers would call covered examples of these items, “comports” and uncovered examples compotes, I think this is what people grew up with.

The Tazza is a very shallow compote, according to most. I do know the word “tazza” is Italian so perhaps someone will know more about this or can research it.

Lon