Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern

On view

Ancient Mediterranean Art

Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern,

ca. 1390–1330 BCE

Cretan
Minoan Bronze Age, late Minoan IIIA, ca. 1420–1330 BCE, ca. 3300–1100 BCE
2003-223 a-b

This pyxis and cup demonstrate characteristic features of the art of the Minoans, a Bronze Age society that lived on the island of Crete, including organic shapes and forms and an abundance of curvilinear lines. The pyxis, a round box intended to hold jewelry or cosmetics, is adorned with carefully overlapping scale patterns that seem almost vegetal. The cup, by contrast, is decorated with a running spiral embellished with ivy leaves, suggesting a combination of flowing waves and floral abundance.

Information

Title
Pyxis (round box) with carved scale pattern
Dates

ca. 1390–1330 BCE

Medium
Gypsum
Dimensions
h. 10.2 cm, diam. 13.9 cm (4 x 5 1/2 in.) diam. lip 11.6 cm (4 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund
Object Number
2003-223 a-b
Place Made

Europe, Crete

Culture
Cretan
Period
Late Minoan
Type
lids, pyxides
Materials
gypsum
Subject
running ornament, scale pattern

Purchased from Robert Hecht, Jr., New York in 2003.

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