Circular Box (Pyxis) with the Miracle of Christ’s Multiplication of the Loaves
Unknown Artist
6th century
Medium
Ivory with polychromy
Dimensions
Overall (with lid): 3 1/2 x 4 3/8 x 5 1/2 in. (8.9 x 11.1 x 14 cm) Overall (without lid): 3 x 4 1/4 x 5 1/4 in. (7.6 x 10.8 x 13.3 cm) Top: 1/2 x 4 3/8 x 5 1/2 in. (1.3 x 11.1 x 14 cm)
Classification
Ivories
Culture
Byzantine
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.34a, b
Tags
About this artwork
This circular ivory box, or pyxis, depicts the Miracle of Christ's Multiplication of the Loaves, created in the 6th century during the Byzantine period. The carved relief shows an enthroned Christ flanked by Saints Peter and Paul, with other disciples carrying the loaves of bread miraculously produced to feed the multitude. The figures are rendered with the characteristic stylization of early Byzantine art, combining classical modeling with the spiritual emphasis of Christian iconography. The bo...