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Pyx: M.1-1913

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Object information

Current Location: Gallery 32 (Rothschild)

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Copper, champlevé, engraved, enamelled and gilt

Copper, champlevé engraved, enamelled in two shades of blue, green, yellow, and red enamels, and gilt; the interior wholly gilt. Cylindrical with a cupola inside, and a conical cover with ball knop capped by six petals or leaves, turned alternately inwards to meet at the top, and outwards. The lower part has pairs of small vertical loops on opposing sides; and the cover has one on each side which fits between the two on the lower part, forming the hinge and hasp. The latter has a projecting 'tongue'. The sides and cover are decorated with scrolling foliage with alternately upward and downward pointing leaves.

Notes

History note: Uncertain before donor

Legal notes

Given by the Rev. S. Dewick, MA, FSA

Measurements and weight

Height: 9 cm
Height: 3½ in
Width: 8.3 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Limoges ⪼ Haute Vienne ⪼ France

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1913-02-21) by Dewick, E.S.

Dating

13th Century
Medieval
Circa 1200 CE - 1300 CE

Note

A pyx (from Latin pyxis, a box), is a container for the Euchar¬istic bread or Host (Latin hostia, a victim or sacri¬fice). By the thirteenth century two pyxes were considered necessary for each church: one to hold the unconsacrated wafers, and the other to hold the consecrated wafers. Numerous champlevé enamel pyxes have survived which suggests that they were among the most frequently commissioned liturgical objects. Foliated scrolls were one of the most common types of decoration on pyxes.

School or Style

Gothic

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamel ( two shades of blue, green, yellow, and red) gold
Base Diameter 6.8 cm Diameter 2⅝ in
Drum Only Height 1½ in

Materials used in production

Copper

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.1-1913
Primary reference Number: 139827
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 26 January 2021 Last processed: Wednesday 13 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Pyx" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/139827 Accessed: 2024-04-19 09:16:51

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/139827 |title=Pyx |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-04-19 09:16:51|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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