Pyxis (pottery)

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A pyxis (plural pyxides) is a type of Greek pottery used by women to hold cosmetics, trinkets or jewelery. It was usually a round box with a separate lid. Ultimately, the pyxidis was derived from Corinthian boxes that also came with covers. The shape of the vessel can be traced in pottery back to the Protogeometric period in Athens, however the Athenian pyxis has various different shapes itself. At first, the two varieties of pyxis included the pointed and the flat bottomed. The pointed pyxis didn't last much longer than the ninth century, while the flat bottomed continued into the late Geometric. It also continued to grow larger and fatter. The cover often depicts elaborately sculpted handles and the walls tend to be somewhat convex. During the sixth century,however, Athens began producing boxes with concave walls. Images on the pyxis usually depict the marriage procession from a young girl's house to that of her new husband.

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Last updated on Friday December 21, 2007 at 02:33:49 PST (GMT -0800)
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