Pyxis (vessel)
Also known as: pyxides · pyx · pixi · pix · pixes · pyxes
- 1A pyxis is a cylindrical box with a separate lid and no handles.
- 2The name derives from the Corinthian word puksos, meaning boxwood.
- 3The vessel was used for cosmetics, jewellery, medicine, and incense.
- 4Materials used include pottery, wood, bronze, ivory, marble, and silver.
- 5The Attic term for the vessel was kylichnis.
- 6The shape dates back to the Protogeometric period in Athens.
A pyxis is a shape of vessel from the classical world, usually a cylindrical box with a separate lid and no handles.
Connections1
Latin term that replaced the original Greek container
This is the specific Latin word used by Erasmus that shifted the cultural understanding of the container from a large jar to a small box.
A pyxis is a distinct cylindrical vessel from the classical world, characterized by a separate lid and the absence of handles. These containers were versatile, used for storing cosmetics, trinkets, and jewellery, as well as by physicians for medicine and for dispensing incense.
The wedding of Thetis and Peleus. Attic red-figure pyxis, c. 470–460 BC.Wikimedia Commons: File:Pyxis_Peleus_Thetis_Louvre_L55_by_Wedding_Painter.jpgNikosthenic Pyxis showcasing two charioteers and two Hoplites running - c. 520–500 BCEWikimedia Commons: File:Nikosthenes_Painter_-_ARV_127_30_-_hoplites_and_chariots_-_athletes_-_Roma_MNEVG_20749_-_01.jpg While most surviving examples are made of Greek pottery, they were also crafted from materials such as wood, bronze, ivory, marble, silver, or stone. The name originates from the Corinthian word puksos, referring to the boxwood tree. During the Classical period, the vessel was also known by the Attic term kylichnis.