Harvard Art Museums > 2012.1.128: Pyxis Vessels Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Pyxis , 2012.1.128,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Nov 24, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/191413. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2012.1.128 Title Pyxis Classification Vessels Work Type vessel Date 1st-2nd century CE Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe Period Roman Imperial period Culture Roman Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/191413 Physical Descriptions Medium Bone Technique Carved Dimensions 8.1 x 3.7 cm (3 3/16 x 1 7/16 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History [C. Dikran Kelekian Antiquities, New York] 1979, sold; to The Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University (1979-2012), transfer; to the Harvard Art Museums, 2012. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University Accession Year 2012 Object Number 2012.1.128 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Cylindrical bone pyxis with a lid attached by a bronze hinge and latch. Holes for a second, now lost, attachment are present on the opposite side. The exterior of the cylinder and lid is decorated with carved lines and raised bands. The top of the lid bears incised concentric circles and a carved spherical knob-handle. Some chipping. The green discoloration is caused by the bronze hinge. Commentary A pyxis is a box used for storing toilet items including cosmetics. Typically cylindrical in shape, pyxides have a separate lid, often with a knob on the top. These lidded cosmetic containers were made in a variety of materials including metals, glass, ivory, and wood. Bone, used for this pyxis, was considered a somewhat more modest material although the careful craftsmanship is evident in the well-formed knob and elaborate handle. Publication History Ioli Kalavrezou, Byzantine Women and Their World, exh. cat., Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2003), no. 154, p. 261-62 [Jennifer Ledig Heuser]. Exhibition History Roman Gallery Installation (long-term), Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 09/16/1999 - 01/20/2008 Byzantine Women and Their World, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 10/25/2002 - 04/28/2003 32Q: 3620 University Study Gallery, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 01/22/2022 - 05/08/2022; Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 01/20/2024 - 05/05/2024 Subjects and Contexts Roman Domestic Art Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
