Dish Decorated with Warriors on Horseback Pursuing Each Other c. 1680 - 1720

This blue and white ceramic dish features warriors on horseback pursuing each other, and was made anonymously in China. Notice the central motif of the armed horsemen, locked in eternal combat, rendered in cobalt blue. This motif echoes across cultures—from ancient friezes of warring horsemen in Persia to the medieval tapestries of European knights. The symbol of conflict, the heroic struggle, recurs, tapping into a universal human drama. Consider how the artist renders the energy of battle; the tension in the horses’ postures, the warriors’ raised arms, and the clashing swords. This echoes the relentless struggle between opposing forces, a theme repeated throughout art history. Even the abstract geometric patterns on the rim can be seen as symbolic representations of the chaotic, unpredictable nature of conflict. This eternal return of symbols, of the hero’s struggle, engages us on a profound, subconscious level.