Pyxis with Crosses and Vine Scrolls
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Indicative of social status, these three circular, bellied-shape ivory boxes were luxury objects produced for the elite. Each is decorated with vine scrolls springing from pots, a Byzantine motif drawn from the world of the classical god Dionysos that was also popular during the early Islamic period.
The vines on this luxury object, carved from a single piece of ivory, grow under a series of arcades. As it was intended for a Christian audience, crosses appear regularly on its surface.
The vines on this luxury object, carved from a single piece of ivory, grow under a series of arcades. As it was intended for a Christian audience, crosses appear regularly on its surface.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pyxis with Crosses and Vine Scrolls
- Date: 7th–8th century
- Geography: Made in Syria (?)
- Medium: Ivory with red paint added later
- Dimensions: H: 3 3/8 in. (8.5 cm); diam: 2 11/16 in. (6.8 cm)
- Classification: Ivories
- Credit Line: Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin—Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst, Berlin (11531)
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters