Platters

A long plate, a plate with corners, a deep eight-sided bowl. Anything that is not round draws a line across the table. Set them down and a direction appears, which changes how the food goes on them.

Long plates suit grilled fish and anything on a skewer; square ones suit several things laid out side by side; oval bowls take whatever has liquor in it. Some are fired bare without glaze, some finished in white or ash glaze, some drawn on in blue. Trays meant to carry other pieces are here too — the sheet a table is built on rather than the dish itself.

Most run 25cm or more on the long side. A piece that overruns the width of your table becomes a problem to put down, so it is safer to decide where it will live before choosing it. Square and long plates and choosing a large plate set out what each shape is for.