Art Institute of Chicago

Pyxis (Container for Personal Objects)

Greek; Athens

Date

730-720 BCE

Medium

terracotta

Culture

Athens

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Ceramic vessels decorated with repetitive linear designs were so popular during the 8th and 7th centuries BC that the term Geometric applies to both the style and the time period (800–600 BC). The body of this container is decorated with popular ornamentations, among them Greek key pattern, or meanders, as well as checkerboard patterns, dotted and crosshatched lozenges, and chevrons. The handle of this vase takes the form of horses standing side by side, suggesting a team for a four-horse chariot. Ownership of horses was an important indicator of financial status, since only the wealthy could afford to possess and train them.

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