Square and Oblong Plates: Why Straight Edges Work at the Table
Put one square plate on a table of nothing but round ones. That alone sharpens the outline of the table.
Square and oblong plates are less about holding food than they are plates that decide the shape of the table. A round plate has a soft outline, so any number of them dissolve into one another; a straight edge works on its own. Which is why you do not need many. One or two is enough.
Here we set out the difference between square and oblong plates, where they work, and the fact that they are made differently from round ones.
How square and oblong plates differ
Both have straight edges, but they are used differently. A square plate is close to a square; an oblong plate is long across. That difference in proportion decides what can go on them.
| Shape | Guide size | What goes on it |
|---|---|---|
| Square plate (small) | 10–15cm square | A side plate, one appetizer, a sweet with its pick |
| Square plate (large) | 18–24cm square | A main course for one. Bread and salad on a single plate |
| Rectangular plate | Around 20×14cm | Three appetizers, yakitori, a main course with sauce beside it |
| Oblong plate | 25–33cm by around 10cm | A whole grilled fish, skewers, sashimi, a seasonal assortment |
An oblong plate will certainly come into its own with food that wants its length shown, grilled fish above all. A square plate doubles as a side plate, which makes it the more versatile piece of the two.
Octagonal plates and sumikiri plates, with the four corners cut away, belong to the same family of straight-edged ware. Their corners are less sharp than a true square, so they lean either Japanese or Western. If this is your first plate with corners, these two are the easiest shapes to handle.
A straight edge makes empty space
Put round food on a square plate and the four corners are left over. That leftover becomes empty space.
On a round plate, food set in the middle leaves an even ring around it. That looks tidy, but nothing moves. On a square, the gap left when you push the food to one side becomes a shape in itself. Even without confidence in your arrangement, pushing it to one side settles it. That is where a square plate works hardest.
An oblong plate is more extreme still: there is nothing to do but line things up in a row. Three skewers, three appetizers, three slices of sashimi. Make it three and it almost never fails. Odd numbers leave easier gaps than even ones across a long shape.
Four places an oblong plate works
- Grilled fish A whole fish overruns even a 25cm round plate at head and tail. On a 30cm oblong plate there is room left to add grated daikon
- Skewers Yakitori and kushiage both come right simply by having the skewers point the same way. On a round plate they scatter at angles
- Appetizers with drinks Line up three and set the sake ware beside them. One plate completes an evening drink for one
- Sweets and tea One wagashi and nothing else. The more empty space, the better an oblong plate works
They are made differently from round plates
Round plates are thrown on the wheel. Square plates cannot be.
Either tatara-zukuri, laying slabs of clay over a mold, or mentori, shaving flat faces into the side of a thrown piece. Plates with corners are made one of those two ways. The reason even the same artisan has fewer square plates is that there are more steps before one is finished.
A plate built from slabs keeps the marks of the joins at its edge. Turn it over and you see how it was made. Look as far as the foot ring before you buy and you will find that pieces of the same shape still differ one from another.
What chips is the corner
There is only one thing to watch with square and oblong plates. They chip at the corners.
Stack them and the corner of the upper plate presses into the face of the one below. Slip a cloth between them, or stand them on edge instead. When washing, take care not to knock a corner against the edge of the sink.
An unglazed yakishime oblong plate keeps oil stains out if you do medome sealing at the start. Care in general is set out in caring for Japanese ceramics.
There are also shapes close to a square with rounded corners. Look at the ware you already have at home, and as you choose, ask yourself which shape among the many square plates would bring your table into balance.
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One plate changes the outline of a table
Fifteen oblong plates and platters. A whole grilled fish, or three appetizers, both fit on this one shape. Once the round plates have come together, choose the next one from here.
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New to Japanese pottery? Start here — its history, how pottery differs from porcelain, the clays and glazes behind each style, and how to care for a piece. → Japanese Pottery: The Complete Guide