Dish 1780 - 1788

This dish, crafted in pewter by Joseph Danforth around the late 18th century, may appear simple at first glance, yet it speaks volumes about cultural memory. Its circular form, an unbroken ring, resonates deeply with ancient symbols of unity, eternity, and cycles of life. Think of the Ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail, a motif found in Egyptian and Greek iconography. The image embodies perpetual return, a theme that echoes in mandalas and the concept of cyclical time across various cultures. The dish's function—to hold sustenance—also harkens back to ancient rituals of communal eating and offerings to the gods, reinforcing social bonds and collective identity. It's as if the dish, through its simple form and purpose, becomes a vessel not just for food, but also for shared history and cultural continuity. As we ponder the vessel, let us consider how subconscious desires for continuity are embedded in something so seemingly mundane.