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Lot Essay
This rare pyxis belongs to a small group, some of which are recognised as sharing moulds. The majority of the surviving examples are in opaque white, a tradition perhaps arising from the use of white marble, ivory and bone for pyxides in the Greek world (Lightfoot, 2014, p. 130). Harden has noted that "some of the decorative elements match those on glasses signed by Ennion" (1987, p. 158).
For a similar pyxis in opaque white, and a listing of examples from the same or closely related moulds as the present lot, see Matheson, 1980, p. 46, no. 121 and Lightfoot, op. cit.. From these comprehensive lists, it would seem there are only three other known examples in opaque light blue - one at the British Museum (inv. no. 1892,0613.52), which is missing its lid, and another discovered at Krenides at Philippi and now in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki (Adam-Veleni, 2010, p. 398, no. 480). For the third, see Clemenz & Steinemann, 1981, p. 80, no. 266.
For a similar pyxis in opaque white, and a listing of examples from the same or closely related moulds as the present lot, see Matheson, 1980, p. 46, no. 121 and Lightfoot, op. cit.. From these comprehensive lists, it would seem there are only three other known examples in opaque light blue - one at the British Museum (inv. no. 1892,0613.52), which is missing its lid, and another discovered at Krenides at Philippi and now in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki (Adam-Veleni, 2010, p. 398, no. 480). For the third, see Clemenz & Steinemann, 1981, p. 80, no. 266.