Pyx
Unknown Artist
c. 1170–1180
Medium
gilded copper, champlevé and cloisonné enamel, wood core (modern)
Dimensions
5.4 × 21.3 × 9.3 cm
Classification
Enamel
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund and the Fanny Tewksbury King Collection by exchange
Accession Number
1949.431
About this artwork
The image of Christ’s crucifixion dominates this enameled box. Personifications of the Christian church, the Jewish faith, and the Virgin and Saint John flank the cross. Two Old Testament scenes--Abel’s sacrifice of sheep and Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac--appear on either side. The box once served as a pyx, a container for the consecrated host, itself a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice.