Terracotta pyxis (cosmetic box) with domed lid

2nd–1st century BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171

The preserved decoration on this white-ground pyxis, which consists of stippled swags tied with bows of olive branches, is very similar to that on the flaring bowl nearby. Both pieces are painted in the style of Lagynos ware, examples of which have been found throughout the Mediterranean, but in especially great numbers around Pergamon. The simple form of this pyxis, with its tapering body, flanged base, and unadorned domed lid, is perhaps a regional variation of the shape from Asia Minor that serves as a more humble counterpart to the more ornate examples of the type, such as the Macedonian pyxis also in this case (1979.76a,b).

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Terracotta pyxis (cosmetic box) with domed lid
Period: Hellenistic
Date: 2nd–1st century BCE
Culture: Greek, Asia Minor
Medium: Terracotta; white-ground
Dimensions: h. with lid 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm); h. without lid 4 7/16 in. (11.4 cm)
Classification: Vases
Credit Line: Gift of The American Society for the Excavation of Sardis, 1926
Object Number: 26.199.12a, b
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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