Plate - Sara

It is a shallow, flat-open vessel, usually circular, used as a tableware or a stand for other tableware. The origin of the word is unclear, with some saying it is an abbreviation of "asarake (shallow jar)" or a corrupted version of "asaaru (shallow)." However, all theories have in common the focus on the shallow shape. There is also a theory that it originated from Sanskrit or Korean.

In ancient Japan, the character "ban" was used for a vessel equivalent to a modern plate. This is because in ancient China, from the Yin Dynasty to the Warring States Period (16th to 3rd century BC), there was a shallow, flat vessel made of bronze, called a ban. This was not tableware, but was used to receive water for washing hands during rituals and banquets. Even today, many bans are excavated along with other bronze vessels. As tableware, silver bans were perfected from the Sui to Tang dynasties. Meanwhile, ceramic tri-colored plates appeared, and then ceramics became mainstream, with ceramic bans perfected during the Song dynasty. The Chinese character for ban was used in ancient Japan as the kanji for "sara," a tableware or serving vessel. Many ancient dictionary books list the character "ban" as an entry.

The earliest example of the Japanese character "sara" is found in the Shosoin documents, where it appears as "sarasanjuguchi" in the "Account Book for the Materials of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra" from the 8th year of the Tenpyo Hoji era (764). The dictionary "Wamyō Ruijūshō", compiled during the Shōhei era (931-938), adds the reading "sara" to the character "ban" and explains it as "the name of a vessel." The current character "sara" was a type of tableware in China, as written in the Shuowen Jiezi as "utensils for eating and drinking," but in Japan it also appears in the dictionary "Ruijū Myōgishō" from the end of the Heian period. The writing of "sara" gradually became more prevalent from the Middle Ages, and by the Edo period it had replaced "ban."

The Engishiki, written in the mid-Heian period, already contained the names of various kinds of plates. Ginban (silver plate), mokuban (wooden plate), doban (earthen plate), ceramic plate, and shiban (porcelain plate) indicate the material. Shushitsuban (vermilion lacquer plate) indicates the finish, while koban (high plate), taiban (large plate), maiban (single plate), henban (single plate), and makeban (hemp tray) indicate the size and shape. Towanban (ceramic plate), shukuban (porridge plate), koban (back plate), and kashokuban (lower plate) are names that indicate the way they are used. Other examples of usage include 'the silver plate' (The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu), 'the large copper plate' (The Daian-ji Temple Materials Book), 'the iron plate' (The Kanzeon-ji Temple Materials Book), 'the celadon plate' (The Tales of Times Now Past and Present), and 'the lapis lazuli plate' (The Jikkinsho).

Looking at surviving items, for example, the large two-color plate from Shosoin is about 37 centimeters in diameter, has a flat bottom with no foot, and is known as Nara Sansai, influenced by Tang Sansai. The basic difference between plates (ban) and bowls/bowls of that time, in addition to being shallow or deep, seems to have been the presence or absence of a foot. The foot later became a "tsuke-takadai" that was added after shaping, and further developed into a "kezuri-takadai" that was shaped to have a foot from the beginning.

In the Middle Ages, plates can be seen in pictorial materials such as picture scrolls. In the "Gaki Soushi," a man playing the biwa is depicted, and three types of small plates are placed in front of him: a small plate with a foot placed on an oshiki, a small plate with food placed on a takatsuki, and a small plate without a foot like a sake cup. In the "Gosannen Kassen Emaki," a scene is depicted of a warrior eating a mountain of rice, known as ouban, and next to it is a small plate that appears to have been used for side dishes. There are other examples of tableware for side dishes, and we can see the uses of small plates at that time. Most of these plates from the Middle Ages were small plates about the size of a large sake cup, and most were unglazed. Lacquerware and wooden plates were also used. During the Momoyama period, production of ceramic plates gradually increased, and kilns such as Oribe and Shino produced masterpieces, but they were still valuable items, and small unglazed plates were generally produced.

It was not until the Edo period that ceramic plates became widespread. The majority of Arita ware products in Kyushu were plates, with standard sizes of large plates (1 shaku in diameter), medium plates (5-7 sun), and small plates (3 sun), which became the national standard for plate sizes. Production was particularly active in Kitakyushu, where many places still have the place name "Sarayama." Nationwide, Seto, Kutani, and Satsuma were the main production areas. Meanwhile, apart from domestically produced products, imported products from China were prized as luxury items.

[Moriya Masahisa]

Plates are an essential item for meals. Originally, they were placed on the palm of the hand, or made of leaves or thinly shaved pieces of wood. Even today, people sometimes place pickles on the palm of their hand and drink tea, or use magnolia leaves, bamboo leaves, or haran leaves instead of plates. Plates for everyday use are used to serve food or to separate dishes, and there are many types of plates for different purposes. In Japan, there is a strong custom of serving each type of food on a separate plate, so there are many types. There are large plates for serving food together, medium plates, small plates, serving plates, condiment plates, long and thin plates for grilled fish, and plates that are not only circular but also square and polygonal. Western plates include meat plates, bread plates, soup plates, and small plates, as well as special types such as heat-resistant gratin dishes. Large plates are often used because each person often serves food from them. Other types include cake plates and saucers for drinking cups. Chinese cuisine is often eaten by either taking food directly from a large plate with chopsticks, or by taking it onto one's own small plate. Plates are often made of ceramics, but many other materials are also used, including glass, metal (aluminum, stainless steel, etc.), plastic, and paper. Plates come in a variety of colors, including white, colored, painted, and decorative, and some special types include carved metal (silver, etc.) plates and very luxurious large plates such as the beautifully patterned and colored sawachi plates from Kochi Prefecture.

[Tomomi Kono]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平らに開いた、主として円形の浅い器で、食器や、他の食器の台に使われる。語源は「あさらけ（浅甕）」の略とも、「あさある（浅有）」の転訛(てんか)ともいい、ほかに諸説あるが、さだかでない。ただし、いずれの説も浅いという形状に注目する点で共通する。またサンスクリット語や朝鮮語から出たという説もある。

　現在の皿に相当する器に、日本では古くは「盤(ばん)」の字が使われた。これは、古代中国の殷(いん)代～戦国時代（前16～前3世紀）には青銅製の浅く平たい器があり、盤とよばれたことによる。これは食器ではなく、祭祀(さいし)や饗宴(きょうえん)のときに手を洗う水を受ける器として使われた。現在でも多数の盤が他の青銅器とともに発掘されている。食器としては隋(ずい)から唐代にかけて銀製の盤が完成した。一方で陶製の三彩(さんさい)が現れ、それから陶磁製が主流となり、陶磁製の盤は宋(そう)代に完成をみた。この中国で使われた盤の字が、日本において古くは食器や盛り付け器である「さら」の漢字として使われた。古辞（字）書には「盤」の字を項目として出すものが多い。

　日本語としての「さら」は、『正倉院文書』中の天平宝字(てんぴょうほうじ)8年（764）の「大般若(だいはんにゃ)経料雑物納帳」に「佐良卅(さらさんじゅう)口」とみえるのが早い例であろう。また承平(じょうへい)年間（931～938）成立の字書『倭名類聚抄(わみょうるいじゅしょう)』には、「盤」の字に「佐良」の訓をつけ「器名」と解説している。現用の「皿」の字は、中国では『説文解字』に「飯食之用器」と記すように、食器の一種であったが、日本では平安末期の字書『類聚名義抄』にも出る。皿の表記は中世からしだいに優勢となり、江戸時代までには盤にとってかわった。

　すでに平安時代中期の『延喜式(えんぎしき)』には、さまざまな種類の盤の名称が記されている。銀盤、木盤、土盤、陶盤、瓷(し)盤は材料を表す。朱漆(しゅしつ)盤は仕上げを、高(こう)盤、大(たい)盤、枚(まい)盤、片(へん)盤、麻笥(まけ)盤は大きさと形状を表す。また、陶埦(とうわん)盤、粥(しゅく)盤、後(こう)盤、下食(かしょく)盤は用法を表す名である。このほかの用例では、「しろがねの御さら」（『紫式部日記』）、「白銅大盤」（『大安寺資材帳』）、「鉄盤」（『観世音寺資材帳』）、「青瓷ノ盤」（『今昔物語集』）、「こんるりの御皿」（『十訓抄(じっきんしょう)』）は材料、「瓜(うり)盤」（『日本書紀』）、「水盤」（『江家次第(ごうけしだい)』）は用法の例である。

　現存品にみると、たとえば正倉院の二彩大皿は径37センチメートル前後、高台(こうだい)のない平底で、唐三彩の影響を受けた奈良三彩とよばれるものである。当時の皿（盤）と鉢・椀(わん)の基本的な違いは、浅深のほかに高台の有無であったらしい。高台はのちに成形後につける「つけ高台」になり、さらに初めから高台をつけた形に成形する「削り高台」に発展した。

　中世においては絵巻物などの絵画資料に皿の姿をうかがうことができる。『餓鬼(がき)草紙』には琵琶(びわ)を弾く男の姿を描くが、男の前に、折敷(おしき)にのせた高台付きの小皿、高坏(たかつき)にのせた食物を盛った小皿、酒器のような高台のない小皿と、3種類の小皿が置かれている。また『後三年合戦絵巻』には、武士が山盛りの飯、いわゆる垸（椀）飯(おうばん)を食べている光景が描かれているが、その横には副食物を盛ったと思われる小皿が置かれている。この副食物用の食器の例は他にもみられ、当時の小皿の用途がわかる。これら中世における皿は大部分が酒杯を大きくした程度の小皿で、素焼が多いようである。あるいは塗り物や木地の皿も使われた。桃山時代には陶器の皿がしだいに生産を増し、織部(おりべ)・志野(しの)などの窯には名品が生まれたが、なお貴重品であり、一般には素焼の小皿が主であった。

　陶磁器の皿が普及するのは江戸時代になってからのことである。九州の有田(ありた)焼は、その製品の大半が皿で、大皿（径1尺）、中皿（5～7寸）、小皿（3寸）という大きさの基準があり、これが全国的な皿の大きさの基準になった。このほか、とくに北九州において盛んに生産され、「皿山」という地名を残す所が多い。全国的には瀬戸、九谷(くたに)、薩摩(さつま)などが主産地であった。一方では国産品とは別に、中国からの輸入品が高級品として珍重された。

［森谷尅久］

　皿は食事には欠かせないものの一つである。もともとは手のひらにのせたり、木の葉、薄く削った木片などが使われ、現在でも、手のひらに漬物をとってのせ、茶を飲むとか、ホオノキの葉、ササの葉、ハランなどを皿がわりに使うこともある。日常食器としての皿は、料理を盛るとか、取り分けるのが目的で、目的別の食器としての皿は、かなり種類が多い。日本では、とくに料理の一種ごと別々の皿に盛る風習が強いので種類が多い。まとめて料理を入れる大皿から、中皿、小皿、とり皿、調味料を入れるおてしょ、焼き魚を入れる細長い皿や、形も円形だけでなく、角形、多角形のものがある。西洋皿では、肉皿、パン皿、スープ皿、小皿といったものがあり、耐熱性のグラタン皿のような特殊なものもある。また、各自が取り分けることが多く、大皿がよく使われる。このほか、ケーキ皿、飲み物用カップの受け皿などがある。中国料理は、大皿からいきなり箸(はし)でとって食べるか、自分の小皿にとることが多い。皿の材質としては陶磁器が多く、このほかガラス、金属（アルミニウム、ステンレスなど）、プラスチック、紙など多くのものが使われる。皿には、白、色付き、絵のついたもの、飾りにくふうしたものなどさまざまであり、特殊なものとしては、金属（銀など）に彫刻を施したものや、大皿で模様や彩色の美しい高知県の皿鉢(さわち)など非常に豪華なものもある。

［河野友美］

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