Round dish with fighting lizard and snake 1865 - 1887

Manuel Mafra crafted this round dish, featuring a fighting lizard and snake, from glazed earthenware. The piece is a textured tableau, where the drama unfolds in a shallow space. The central conflict between the lizard and snake is framed by a border teeming with insects, each rendered with striking detail. Mafra employs a rich palette of earthy tones, punctuated by vivid greens and yellows, to animate the scene. The composition, though circular, is dynamic, with the twisting bodies of the animals creating a sense of movement and tension. The dish’s design taps into 19th-century interests in naturalism and the era’s fascination with Darwinian struggles. By presenting this life-and-death struggle on a domestic object, Mafra blurs the line between art and artifact, inviting viewers to contemplate the underlying forces that shape the natural world. Consider how the artist uses the circular form not merely as a boundary, but as a stage for a narrative that speaks to broader themes of conflict and survival, reflecting cultural preoccupations of the time.