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Fragmentary Cylindrical Box (Pyxis) with Revellers

Culture Roman
Title Fragmentary Cylindrical Box (Pyxis) with Revellers
Date 300–400 CE
Medium Ivory
Dimensions Object: 4 3/16 × 3 5/16 × 1 3/8 in. (10.6 × 8.4 × 3.5 cm)
Overall: 4 3/16 × 3 5/16 × 1 3/8 in. (10.6 × 8.5 × 3.5 cm)
Credit Line V. G. Simkhovitch Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 63.105.89

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About this Work

Ivory comes from elephant tusks and was a valuable commodity throughout the Near East and eastern Mediterranean. Along with bones from other large mammals, ivory was often used for small sculpture and sculptural reliefs. Although it is very dense and difficult to carve, it is capable of supporting fine details and high polish. Especially popular in the Roman and Byzantine eras, it was also used to make personal luxury items, such as combs and pins. This curved relief fragment is part of a box that was used to store jewelry or cosmetics.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Fragmentary Cylindrical Box (Pyxis) with Revellers | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=63.105.89