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Unknown Maker, Greek

Cylindrical Box (Pyxis)
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Greek

Culture

Greek

Title

Cylindrical Box (Pyxis)

Period

Middle Geometric period

Year

800-760 BCE

Medium

  • terracotta

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • terracotta

Materials

clay

Geography

Place Made: Attica

Dimensions

Height: 17.2 cm (6 3/4 inches) (including knob)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Incised X between two pierced holes.

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

24.022

Type

  • Ceramics

Publications

  • Books

Classical Vases, Excluding Attic Black-Figure, Attic Red-Figure and Attic White Ground

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries
Sep 22, 2010

Label copy

Many extant ancient objects were
originally deposited as grave goods in tombs, where they were protected from
theft or destruction. Grave gifts often included items that belonged to the
deceased, such as mirrors, toys, ceramics, and even weapons.
Much of the tableware in this case would have held food and
wine offerings to nourish the spirit of the deceased.

Without a proper funeral, a shade (the
part of a person left behind after death), could not enter the underworld.
Greek funerals began with the prothesis, during which the body was laid
out for mourners to visit and pay their respects. Then the body was brought to
the cemetery in an  ekphora, or
funeral procession. The final stage in the funeral was the actual interment.
Tombs, statues, and gravemarkers (stelai) marked the sites where
visitors could remember and make offerings to the dead.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Greek
Cylindrical Box (Pyxis), 800-760 BCE
Terracotta
Height: 17.2 cm (6 3/4 inches) (including knob)
Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke 24.022

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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