A pyxis is a box used for cosmetics and ointments, it could also store small beauty products and pieces of jewellery.

This example has been made using mould-blown glass, a technique which appeared around the middle of the 1st century A.D. The resulting embossed motifs are reminiscent of vases decorated with precious metals. The cylindrical goblet is decorated with alternating palmettes, while the conical cover features a frieze of gadroons and lotiform palmettes, also inverted. The beautiful deep blue colour is obtained by adding cobalt ore to the vitreous paste.

The quality of this pyxis – similar examples have been found in Syria and Italy – is testament to the high level of technical prowess achieved by certain glass-makers using mass production.