Dish with a Horse Image

This silver dish dates to the 6th–7th centuries CE and bears the image of a horse — an example of pre-Islamic metalwork from Central Asia.
The vessel has a simple and balanced form, consisting of a shallow bowl with a gently raised rim. At its center appears an engraved profile of a horse. The animal is shown in motion, with emphasized harness and decorative elements. The contours are sharply incised, and certain details may originally have been enhanced with gilding or inlay.
The composition centers on a single motif, reinforcing its visual prominence. In the cultures of Central Asia, the horse was closely associated with martial status, mobility, and social prestige.
Objects of this type may have functioned in representative or ceremonial contexts. The dish illustrates a high level of metal craftsmanship and the interaction of regional artistic traditions during a period of early medieval transformation.