DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4761#0378
PYXIDES. 371
The centre of the lid is perforated to receive a bronze ring (cf. E 775), now wanting. The
designs are arranged in concentric bands around this ; immediately around the centre is a
black band ; then a band of single palmettes ; between this and an external edging of egg
pattern comes the main frieze, four-fifths of which arc occupied by two sets of triple palmetto
ornament set on opposite sides ; the remaining one-fifth is occupied by the two figures of the
design, one on each side. The foot is decorated with concentric circles of red on black.
(a) A woman in a long chiton, with her hair tied in a knot behind, wearing
bracelets, moves to 1., bearing in both hands a deep phiale towards
(/;) Eros, who is seated to 1. on the projecting central petal of the r. hand
palmette, and leaning his 1. arm upon it, turns round to look at her ; he is of
boyish type, and has wings addorsed, and long hair tied with a fillet, from which
one wavy tress escapes down his neck.
*• 783. PYXIS. Ht. 2J in. Diam. 4| in. Athens, 1814. Burgon Coll. Drawing rather late
and formal, but still graceful. The designs form two friezes : (1) around a central hole
in the upper surface, which still contains part of the bronze ring ; (2) around the side of
the lid, forming the body of the vase. The flesh of the Erotes is painted in white, with black
details, on the red ground ; their hair is in the usual red-figure method. Gilding on a raised
surface is used for jewellery and head-bands throughout, and for the inner surface of the wings.
The outer surface of the wings is painted in blue (with black details), which is also used for the
mantle which the youth in (2) leans upon ; the inner side of this mantle seems to have been
coloured vermilion. The mantle of the corresponding figure in (1) seems to have been similarly
treated. The dove in (1) has been coloured blue. In the drawing of the crouching Erotes, the
principle of isocephalism has been observed.
(1) Erotes, a youth and women. The youth stands to r., resting his r.
elbow on a mantle laid on raised ground (not shown), of which he holds the
other end in his 1. hand ; he wears a fillet. On the r., a woman in a long chiton
girt, and a sphendone, stands in precisely the same attitude. Both turn their
heads to look at an Eros, who crouches on the 1., holding out both hands as if
with a wreath. On the r. of the woman a second Eros stands looking on. Both
Erotes wear a fillet. The rest of the frieze is occupied by two women ; the one
on the r. leans forward to r., with her r. hand on her hip, her 1. foot on raised
ground. The other moves to r., with both arms bent at her sides; between
them a dove stands flapping its wings to r. All the women are dressed alike in
a chiton which has a striped decoration above the waist, bracelets, earrings, a
necklace, and rays over the forehead.
(2) A similar scene. The group of Eros crouching and a youth is repeated
here ; next on r. are : a woman to r. leaning forward on raised 1. knee, holding
up something in her r. ; a woman (wearing a saccos) moving away to r., looking
back; Eros to r., holding out his r. towards a woman seated to 1. on raised
ground, turning to r. to look at a youth who places his r. on her shoulder as he
moves away, looking back ; he has a mantle over his 1. arm, and holds the end
in his 1. hand ; Eros crouching to r., same gesture as before ; a woman to r.,
holding upright in her 1. a thyrsos, and raising her r. to her hair ; last of all, a
tree, of which the leaves, if they have been indicated, are no longer visible.
2 is 2
The centre of the lid is perforated to receive a bronze ring (cf. E 775), now wanting. The
designs are arranged in concentric bands around this ; immediately around the centre is a
black band ; then a band of single palmettes ; between this and an external edging of egg
pattern comes the main frieze, four-fifths of which arc occupied by two sets of triple palmetto
ornament set on opposite sides ; the remaining one-fifth is occupied by the two figures of the
design, one on each side. The foot is decorated with concentric circles of red on black.
(a) A woman in a long chiton, with her hair tied in a knot behind, wearing
bracelets, moves to 1., bearing in both hands a deep phiale towards
(/;) Eros, who is seated to 1. on the projecting central petal of the r. hand
palmette, and leaning his 1. arm upon it, turns round to look at her ; he is of
boyish type, and has wings addorsed, and long hair tied with a fillet, from which
one wavy tress escapes down his neck.
*• 783. PYXIS. Ht. 2J in. Diam. 4| in. Athens, 1814. Burgon Coll. Drawing rather late
and formal, but still graceful. The designs form two friezes : (1) around a central hole
in the upper surface, which still contains part of the bronze ring ; (2) around the side of
the lid, forming the body of the vase. The flesh of the Erotes is painted in white, with black
details, on the red ground ; their hair is in the usual red-figure method. Gilding on a raised
surface is used for jewellery and head-bands throughout, and for the inner surface of the wings.
The outer surface of the wings is painted in blue (with black details), which is also used for the
mantle which the youth in (2) leans upon ; the inner side of this mantle seems to have been
coloured vermilion. The mantle of the corresponding figure in (1) seems to have been similarly
treated. The dove in (1) has been coloured blue. In the drawing of the crouching Erotes, the
principle of isocephalism has been observed.
(1) Erotes, a youth and women. The youth stands to r., resting his r.
elbow on a mantle laid on raised ground (not shown), of which he holds the
other end in his 1. hand ; he wears a fillet. On the r., a woman in a long chiton
girt, and a sphendone, stands in precisely the same attitude. Both turn their
heads to look at an Eros, who crouches on the 1., holding out both hands as if
with a wreath. On the r. of the woman a second Eros stands looking on. Both
Erotes wear a fillet. The rest of the frieze is occupied by two women ; the one
on the r. leans forward to r., with her r. hand on her hip, her 1. foot on raised
ground. The other moves to r., with both arms bent at her sides; between
them a dove stands flapping its wings to r. All the women are dressed alike in
a chiton which has a striped decoration above the waist, bracelets, earrings, a
necklace, and rays over the forehead.
(2) A similar scene. The group of Eros crouching and a youth is repeated
here ; next on r. are : a woman to r. leaning forward on raised 1. knee, holding
up something in her r. ; a woman (wearing a saccos) moving away to r., looking
back; Eros to r., holding out his r. towards a woman seated to 1. on raised
ground, turning to r. to look at a youth who places his r. on her shoulder as he
moves away, looking back ; he has a mantle over his 1. arm, and holds the end
in his 1. hand ; Eros crouching to r., same gesture as before ; a woman to r.,
holding upright in her 1. a thyrsos, and raising her r. to her hair ; last of all, a
tree, of which the leaves, if they have been indicated, are no longer visible.
2 is 2