- Period
- Romanesque
- Date
- c. 1170–1180
- Collection
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Object no.
- 1949.431
Pyx
Unknown maker, c. 1170–1180
Cleveland Museum of Art · Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund and the Fanny Tewksbury King Collection by exchange · Public domain
- Maker
- Unknown maker
- Date
- c. 1170–1180
- Medium
- gilded copper, champlevé and cloisonné enamel, wood core (modern)
- Dimensions
- Overall: 5.4 x 21.3 x 9.3 cm (2 1/8 x 8 3/8 x 3 11/16 in.)
- Period
- Romanesque
The record
Why it matters
The image of Christ’s crucifixion dominates this enameled box. Personifications of the Christian church, the Jewish faith, and the Virgin and Saint John flank the cross. Two Old Testament scenes--Abel’s sacrifice of sheep and Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac--appear on either side. The box once served as a pyx, a container for the consecrated host, itself a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice.