Plate

Jeopsi, or plate, is a shallow, flat vessel for serving side dishes, fruits, and refreshments, and was also called cheopsi. It was not used as frequently as a soup bowl or a rice bowl, as it is shallow and flat. Its size and shape varied. Just like other vessels, plates were made of various materials such as bronze, iron, gold, silver, glass, and wood, or applied with lacquer. As ceramics were developed, celadon plates began to be made in the Goryeo Dynasty, and grayish-blue-powdered celadon plates and white porcelain plates were produced in the Joseon Dynasty. Today, porcelain, glass, plastic, and other materials are used to make plates in various shapes. It was during the Goryeo era that plates became commonly used as dinnerware, and in the Joseon Dynasty, more sophisticated styles of plates were used on the table, including those with unique designs engraved onto the surface. A plate is shallow since it is not designed to hold liquid-based dishes such as soup or sauces. There is a proverb that says, “Diving nose first into water served on a plate,” meaning that someone is unusually unfortunate to the point of drowning in a plate of water.