Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Circular Pyxis
The box is one of a small number to survive from the 4th through 7th centuries, most carved with mythological (pagan) or Christian subjects. Often called "pyxides" (Greek for "boxes"), they served a variety of functions, such as holding holy incense in a church context or a woman's jewelry. The walls of this one contain two episodes from Greek mythology. First, the Olympian gods are seen feasting around a tripod table and holding the golden Apple of the Hesperides. In the next scene, Hermes is awarding the apple to Aphrodite, whom he chose over Athena and Hera (shown to her sides) as the most beautiful among goddesses.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Count Girolamo Possenti, Fabriano, by purchase; Sale, Florence, March 29, 1880, no. 16; Eugen Felix, Cologne [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Sale, Cologne, October 25, 1886, no. 319; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1926 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2002-2003 | Byzantine Women and Their World. Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge. |
| 1984 | The Taste of Maryland: Art Collecting in Maryland 1800-1934. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1947 | Early Christian and Byzantine Art. Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 5/2/1984 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Geographies
Egypt (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 3 3/8 x Diam: 3 9/16 in. (8.5 x 9.1 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1926
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.
71.64