Large plates

A large plate settles the mood of a table before the food does. Set one down and the kind of meal it is going to be has already been decided.

Seven to eight sun, sometimes more. Flat rounds, plates with the rim lifted, long narrow plates, ovals. Some are fired without glaze so the clay itself takes the heat; some are coated in white slip; some carry a drawing in blue; some have ridges cut one at a time down the face. Whether you leave space around the food or fill the plate to the edge, the same piece shows a completely different face.

Seven sun is about 21cm, eight sun about 24cm. Seven suits a main dish being shared; eight and above suits a table of several people. Depth and the lift of the rim change how a plate handles — see choosing a large plate and choosing a Japanese plate.