Terracotta pyxis (cosmetic box) with domed lid

Unknown

2nd–1st century BCE · Terracotta · Greek and Roman Art

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).

Artist

Unknown

Date

2nd–1st century BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek, Asia Minor

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of The American Society for the Excavation of Sardis, 1926