Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Lid of Cosmetic Box in the Form of a Papyrus Capital
330-304 BCE (Ptolemaic)
A lid for a pyxis, or box, is decorated with two smooth lotus petals that end in tight spirals, like those on as Ionic column, and a central papyrus plant. The lower half of the pyxis (missing) would have contained compartments for cosmetics. To open, the lid turned on a swivel pin of wood or ivory.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Reverend Wiliam MacGregor Collection Sale, Sotheby's, London, 1922; Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris, 1922, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1923, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 8/21/1998 | Examination | survey |
Measurements
3 3/8 x 4 x 9/16 in. (8.5 x 10.2 x 1.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1923
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
48.476