Pyxis / box

Unknown (Assyrian)

Item type:

decorative art

Date of creation:

900-700 BCE

Height:

6.7 cm  (2 5/8 in.)

Diameter:

9.5 cm  (3 3/4 in.)

Technique / Medium:

carved ivory

Place of creation:

Phoenicia (historical region)

School:

Late Assyrian

Description

Circular ivory box or pyxis: with a continuous frieze of carved decoration. It is badly burnt, but shows musicians playing double pipes, chalcophones and the tambourine. They stand amidst palm and lotus trees and behind a goddess seated on a throne. In front of the goddess is a cross-legged table piled with food delicacies. Behind this are two ladies, one of whom is clearly an attendant. On the underside is an inscription written in West Semitic script. This is a fragment repaired with others of same Big Number to form whole.

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Tambourine [2746]
Double flute [3930]
Zither [3729]

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 1

RIdIM record id

5334