Saucer with an image of the Battle of Doggersbank after 1794

This anonymous saucer depicts the Battle of Doggersbank, rendered with brown paint on porcelain in 1781. The scene teems with symbols of power and conflict: warships, billowing smoke, and the Dutch flag, each element laden with cultural meaning. Consider the warship itself—a motif that stretches back to antiquity with the navis Ecclesiae, the ship of the Church, symbolizing humanity's journey through treacherous waters. Here, it morphs into an emblem of military might, evoking both fear and national pride. The smoke, a chaotic fog, hints at the unpredictable nature of war and the disruption it brings, contrasting the clean lines of the ship. The Dutch flag, prominently displayed, connects this scene to a specific national narrative. This banner is not merely a marker of identity; it carries the weight of a nation’s aspirations and struggles. Such symbols tap into our collective memory. The image is not just a depiction of a single battle, but of the cyclical nature of conflict. The symbols of the battle, the ships, the flags, the smoke, reappear in an infinite regression. A powerful force engages viewers on a deep, subconscious level.