Pixis; Greece, Mycenaean Period, 13th century... Lot 29

Pixis; Greece, Mycenaean Period, 13th century BC. XIII. Ceramics. Slight wear and tear. Provenance: Private Collection Portugal. Measurements: 8.5 x 10 cm. Mycenaean pixis made of ceramic, decorated with concentric bands in two tones, covering the body. It has a flattened ovoid belly, a low, flat, circular foot and a narrow neck that ends in a thick laburnum mouth. The pixis is a type of Greek pottery in the form of a box with a lid, used by women to contain cosmetics, jewellery and other objects. It is derived from the Corinthian box and originated in Athens in the Proto-Geometric period. The present vessel has a simple geometric decoration on the outside, divided into bands and executed in reddish tones on a lighter background. The shape and decoration are typical of examples of Mycenaean culture, a pre-Hellenic civilisation of disputed chronology that dates to between around 1550 and 1100 BC and of which important remains have been found in various parts of Greece, most notably at Knossos.