Pyxis (Container for Personal Objects) c. 450

Editor: Here we have a *Pyxis*, dating back to around 450, now residing at The Art Institute of Chicago. It's made of ceramic. It looks like it depicts a story, perhaps a myth. What do you see in this piece, particularly regarding its historical and cultural relevance? Curator: Oh, this little container is far more intriguing than it lets on, isn't it? I imagine some wealthy Athenian woman tucked away her favorite trinkets in here. But, look closer. The narrative unfolding around its circumference is most likely a wedding scene involving Eros (that's him with the wings) and perhaps a fleeing bride, maybe even Persephone being spirited away by Hades. Does it make you wonder what kind of personal "objects" this container actually safeguarded? Something erotic, do you think, which connects this ceramic piece to secret rituals of marriage and feminine power in ancient Greece? What do you make of it? Editor: Wow, that adds a whole new layer! I was just thinking perfume or jewelry, but the "erotic" element…So, you're suggesting it wasn't just decorative? Curator: Oh, rarely ever JUST decorative! Everything, especially then, held layers of symbolism we often miss today. The choice to depict Eros in a wedding scene is loaded with meaning, don't you think? Consider, it was common as part of courtship gifts in Greek and Roman tradition, which can show a shift to romantic expression during the rise of more mature Greek drama. I imagine opening this and the scents emanating up created not just allure, but intimacy and commitment! Editor: That's so fascinating! I hadn’t considered that these objects might tell us about their romantic and social lives. Curator: Indeed. And, as for me, it whispers, even now, that love and desire have always been delightfully, wickedly complicated, hidden behind closed lids, just like this.