Pyxis (Container for Personal Objects)
late 6th century BCE
Medium
terracotta, black-figure
Dimensions
18 × 14.2 × 20 cm (7 1/8 × 7 5/8 × 7 7/8 in.)
Classification
ceramics
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
160
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
There is a continuous frieze around the body of the vessel consisting of seated draped youths, standing draped females, naked youths with spears, runners and young riders. The draped male figures, seated and standing, all seem to be youths (they wear long chitons and himatia) and hold staffs. The standing women have lost their added white paint. A single naked boy is introduced in the frieze behind one of the women. There are mock inscriptions (dots) in the field.
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...