Pyxis (pottery)

A pyxis (plural pyxides) is a type of Greek pottery

Pottery of Ancient Greece

Thanks to its relative durability, pottery is a large part of the archaeological record of Ancient Greece, and because there is so much of it it has exerted a disproportionately large influence on our understanding of Greek society...

used by women to hold cosmetics, trinkets or jewellery. It was usually a round box with a separate lid. Ultimately, pyxides were 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.

A pyxis (plural pyxides) is a type of Greek pottery

Pottery of Ancient Greece

Thanks to its relative durability, pottery is a large part of the archaeological record of Ancient Greece, and because there is so much of it it has exerted a disproportionately large influence on our understanding of Greek society...

used by women to hold cosmetics, trinkets or jewellery. It was usually a round box with a separate lid. Ultimately, pyxides were 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 more squat in proportions. 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 that enabled them to be grasped easily when ranged close together on a shelf. Images on the pyxis usually depict the marriage procession from a young girl's house to that of her new husband.