A long, low, rectangular table on which food was served in the emperor's residential compound, Dairi 内裏, of the imperial palace in the Heian period. It was also used in shinden style *shinden-zukuri 寝殿造 mansions of the aristocracy for serving food in individual portions to senior members of the household. It was 2.5 shaku 尺 (about 75 cm) deep and about 30 cm high, with a leg at each corner. There were two lengths: a daiban 4 shaku long (approximately 1.2 m) was used to serve one person; one of 8 shaku (approximately 2.4 m) in length was used by two people. Finished in either red or black lacquer, shunuri urushi 朱塗り漆 or kuronuri urushi 黒塗り漆, it had a broad edge fillet fuchi 縁 which stood slightly above the top surface. The daiban gave its name to the *daibandokoro 台盤所, or servery, in aristocratic houses.