Circular Box (Pyxis) with Scenes from the Infancy of Jesus
Unknown Artist
early 14th century
Medium
Elephant ivory with traces of polychromy
Dimensions
Overall: 2 5/8 x 4 1/4 x 4 1/8 in. (6.7 x 10.8 x 10.5 cm)
Classification
Ivories-Elephant
Culture
French
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.168
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Circular Box (Pyxis)*, crafted in early 14th-century France, is a masterful example of Gothic ivory carving. Fashioned from elephant ivory—a luxurious material prized for its smooth, luminous quality—the small, portable box (just over 2½ inches tall and 4 across) once served as a container for sacred relics, Eucharist hosts, or personal devotional items. Its lid and sides feature finely carved relief scenes from the Infancy of Jesus, capturing tender moments like the Nativity and adoration, populated by graceful human figures that evoke deep religious emotion. Traces of polych...