Terracotta pyxis (cosmetic box)

A dark terracotta pyxis with a domed lid topped by a small knob and a flared, cylindrical body. A band of incised diamond and lattice patterns encircles the lower body. The box sits on a wide, shallow tray supported by four feet shaped like animal claws, against a plain grey backdrop.

Look closer: A small animal-like figure or knob ornaments the top of the lid.

Artist

Unknown

Date

3rd–2nd century BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

2048 × 2048 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Madame Politis, in memory of her husband, Athanase G. Politis, Ambassador of Greece to the United States, 1979