"Tell Minis" ware refers to a group of ceramics produced in Syria. Tell Minis is the Syrian village where some of the ceramics were found, although there is no evidence that they were potted there. The group dates from the late eleventh century, based on the bowls, or bacini, set into the walls of churches in Pisa and Pavia, Italy. The most representative objects are luster-painted bowls depicting figures, vegetal motifs, and inscriptions. The shape and decoration of this pyxis are unique, although they generally conform to the Tell Minis group.

This well-proportioned example is in exceptionally good condition, with a surface that still retains its lustrous quality. The bowl bears a large kufic inscription in golden-brown luster and a scrolling motif in reserve that offers a pleasant chromatic contrast. The inscription translates as: "Patience means power; he who is patient is strong. Trust [in God] is what one needs." On the lid are nine stylized partridges that animate the object.

In Caliphal Spain (8th–10th century) and Ayyubid Syria (12th–13th century), small lidded ivory or metal boxes stored musk, perfumed herbs, and alkaline ashes for ablution. The pyxis, although larger, may have had a similar function.