- Period
- Byzantine
- Date
- 500s
- Collection
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Object no.
- 1951.114
Ivory Pyx (Box)
Unknown maker, 500s
Cleveland Museum of Art · Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund · Public domain
- Maker
- Unknown maker
- Date
- 500s
- Medium
- ivory
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 12.7 cm (5 in.); Overall: 8.5 cm (3 3/8 in.)
- Period
- Byzantine
The record
Why it matters
Elaborately carved from a section of an elephant’s tusk, this ivory pyx (Greek for "box") depicts a number of New Testament scenes, namely the Annunciation, Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, Christ raising Lazarus, and Christ healing the blind man. It also depicts a Christian altar with chalices, possibly indicating the box’s use in a liturgical context.