ROMAN SIDONIAN PIXIS DEPICTING ALTARS

ROMAN SIDONIAN PIXIS DEPICTING ALTARS
Ca. AD 0 - 100A Stunning Roman Sidonian pyxis with an octagonal body and a slightly convex cylindrical neck. The pyxis has octagonal sides with pronounced mouldings above and below (the upper edge of the former acts as a ledge on which the lid sits). There is an undercurve to the base and slightly concave bottom. The decoration is made up of eight panels around the sides which have four repeated designs. The first is a spoked circle below a triangular pediment. The second is a palmette below a rounded arch. The third is a circle with a central dot within a lozenge. The fourth is a lotus flower on a stem below a rounded arch. These panels are separated by vertical raised lines, decorated on the mouldings above and below with raised knobs, perhaps representing thyrsi. On the undercurve of the base there is a circular frieze of overlapping leaves. On the bottom, there are four concentric raised circles with a dot at the centre. For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 17.194.238a, b.Size: 65mm x 62mm; Weight: 90gProvenance: Prince collection, 1990s-2014 acquired from D. Giles. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.