Plate c. 18th century

Here, we have a plate, crafted by an anonymous hand, its material and exact age lost to time. Notice how the radial symmetry draws our eye to the plate's center, a motif that has been present in diverse cultural contexts throughout history. Think of the mandalas of Tibetan Buddhism or the rose windows of Gothic cathedrals, both utilizing radial symmetry to symbolize the cosmos and divine order. In ancient Greece, the circular form represented perfection and eternity, a concept echoed in Plato’s philosophy. Yet, unlike these earlier examples, this plate's humble origins bring the concept of sacred geometry into the everyday. This object, despite its simplicity, resonates with the echoes of human artistic expression, reminding us of the cyclical nature of symbols and their power to connect us across millennia.