Wooden Tray

Mokban is a woodenware used for serving refreshments, and is called ban, mokpan or mopan, while those with a high foot were called bangi. Some resembled a side dish box, and could be stacked. When a feast is thrown, wooden trays would be spread with food on each tray to be served. Wooden trays are made in various shapes. Most are low-cut and rectangular, but some luxurious trays are octagonal or dodecagonal. Also, in order to increase resilience, each corner of some trays is decorated with a bat pattern or other fancy patterns made of nickel. This kind of woodenware is commonly made of pine, jujube or birch. Since practicality was considered as the priority, the trays were simple and solid rather than elaborate in design. The shape of a wooden tray was made by carving hardwood and the surface of the tray was varnished with perilla oil in two or three layers. This maintained the natural texture and wood grain of the timber, which is characteristic of these wooden trays. Some trays are varnished with yellowish-red lacquer or black lacquer instead of perilla oil.