Pyxis Vase - Cylindrical Box - Birds Motif - Symbol of Transcendence - Athens, Attica - 700 BC - Museum Reproduction - Ceramic Artifact

Item Specifics

Material: Ceramic
Condition: New, Handmade in Greece.
Height: 10 cm - 3,9 inches
Width: 10 cm - 3,9 inches
Length: 10 cm - 3,9 inches
Weight: 250 g

A pyxis is a shape of vessel from the classical world, usually a cylindrical box with a separate lid. Originally mostly used by women to hold cosmetics, trinkets or jewellery , surviving pyxides are mostly Greek pottery, but especially in later periods may be in wood, metal, ivory, or other materials. The name derived from Corinthian boxes made of wood from the tree puksos (boxwood), 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 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 BC, while the flat-bottomed continued into the late Geometric. It also continued to grow larger and more squat in proportions. The cover often depicts elaborately sculpted handles and the walls tend to be somewhat convex. During the sixth century BC, however, Athens began producing boxes with concave walls that enabled them to be grasped easily when ranged close together on a shelf. Compare the waisted shape of the medieval and Early Modern albarello. Images on the pyxis usually depict the marriage procession from a young girl's house to that of her new husband.
Birds are generally considered a link between the earth and the heaven, and symbolic of transcendence and eternal life. With their ability to roam the earth as well as soar up into the sky, birds symbolize freedom. Meanwhile, their proximity to the heavens made them seen as messengers of the gods. As a result, sighting different birds came to be regarded as good or bad signs, with their appearance being like indications from God.