Pyxis with lid (palmettes), Eastern Mediterranean; probably Syria; probably Palestine, 1-99. 55.1.69.
Used to contain cosmetics, medicines, and jewelry, this translucent white glass pyxis with lid was mold-blown in a three-part mold. The body is decorated with a continuous frieze of upright and inverted palmettes, and the conical lid is decorated with a concentric zone of gadroons surrounded by a continuous frieze of alternating upright and inverted palmettes.
Interested in learning more about ancient glass? Check out our exhibit, Ennion and His Legacy: Mold-Blown Glass from Ancient Rome, on view until January 4, 2016.