Collections Menu
Pyxis or box
Advanced Search
Pyxis or box

Pyxis or box

Maker: Khalaf

Date: ca. 966 CE
Dimensions:
H 16 x Diameter 10.1 cm (H 6 5/16 x Diameter 4 in.)
Medium: Ivory with chased and nielloed silver gilt mounts. Some polychromy.
Credit Line: Presented to the Hispanic Society by Archer M. Huntington, 1914.
Place Made:Spain, Madinat al-Zahra (Córdoba)
Period: Medieval
Culture: Umayyad
Not on View
DescriptionKhalaf (active at Madīnat-al-Zahrā’, 966)
Pyxis
Madīnat-al-Zahrā’, Córdoba, ca. 966
Ivory with chased and nielloed silver-gilt mounts, 16 × 10.1 cm
New York, The Hispanic Society of America, D752

PROVENANCE: Toussaint-Joseph Bauer, 1869; John Malcolm of Poltalloch, 1879; Lionel Harris, The Spanish Art Gallery, London, 1913; Archer M. Huntington, New York, 1913; presented to The Hispanic Society of America, 1914

Items of greatest luxury, ivory pyxides, or cylindrical lidded boxes, produced for the courts of the Umayyad caliphs in Córdoba at the end of th 10th century, represent the apex of Islamic art on the Iberian Peninsula. Within this context, the Hispanic Society’s pyxis has been described as “one of the great masterpieces of Islamic ornament” (Hillenbrand 2005). In contrast to other examples—carved with floral and foliate designs, architectural elements, and animals—the decoration of the Hispanic Society’s pyxis is exclusively in the ataurique or Arabesque style. Its decorative motifs carry metaphorical connotations as symbols of fertility, prosperity, and eroticism. This pyxis and its hemispherical lid, finished with a pomegranate-shaped knob, are joined together on the back by a gold-plated silver double hinge, chiseled and engraved. The top is inlaid with a silver plaque and has a three-lobed handle. The interior is smooth, while the exterior is covered with ataurique-type foliate decoration, carved with a depth of four millimeters into the seven-millimeter-thick ivory wall. Carved rope designs, symbols of eternity, encircle the base of the container and the lid, where they frame an inscription in Kufic script. The inscription, carved in relief, contrasts with the signature of the artist, Khalaf, which is incised and located in the middle of the lid’s double hinge, without forming part of the poem:

The sight I offer is the fairest of sights,
The still firm breast of a lovely young woman.
Beauty [Khalaf’s work] has bestowed upon me
A robe clad with jewels,
So that I am a vessel for musk
and camphor and ambergris.

This poem speaks in the first person, musing on the beauty possessed by the piece itself and comparing it to the firm breast of a young woman. Furthermore, it informs us of the container’s function: to contain luxurious perfumes and incense. The church of Santa María de Fitero (Navarre) houses an ivory chest signed by Khalaf and dated 966. Its inscription tells us where it was made, Madīnat alZahrā’, the caliphal city near Córdoba. It also tells us that it was made for princess Wallāda, daughter of ’Abd al Raḥmān III and sister of al-Ḥakam II. Another ivory chest, now in the Instituto Valencia de Don Juan in Madrid, gives the same information, although without the signature of its creator.

Six complete pyxides like this one have been preserved: one in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid, originating from the cathedral of Zamora (inv. 52113), made in 964 for Ṣubḥ, alḤakam II’s favorite concubine and later wife, and mother of ’Abd al-Raḥmān, the caliph’s first son, who died at a young age; another pyxis is in the Musée du Louvre in Paris (inv. OA 4068), made for al-Mugīra, brother of al-Ḥakam II, in 968; two others are in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London—one belonging to al-Ḥakam, dated 965 (inv. 217-1865), and one belonging to Ziyād ibn Aflaḥ, police prefect, dated 969–970 (inv. 368-1880); another pyxis is in the treasury of the Braga Cathedral, which was made for Sayf al-Dawla, son of alManṣūr, around 1004; and finally, the present pyxis in the collection of the Hispanic Society. The documentary evidence confirms that the ivorycarving workshops in Madīnat al-Zahrā’ during the caliphal period (929-1003) were closely related to the court and that production was limited to the elite palace sphere.

It is probable that the Hispanic Society’s pyxis subsequently formed part of a treasure belonging to a cathedral, church, or monastery. Christians preserved these pieces as a result of their appreciation for them, changing their function from perfume-holder to reliquary. The custom of using pyxides and chests as adornments for altars and placing the relics of saints inside them was very common in the Middle Ages. Documented examples include the ivory chest converted into a reliquary for Santo Domingo de Silos (today in the Museo de Burgos, inv. 198), the chests of Leyre (Pamplona, Museo de Navarra, inv. CE000038), and the chests of Palencia (Madrid, Museo Arquelógico Nacional, inv. 57371), and the previously mentioned Zamora pyxis. CdA

Texto en Español:

Objetos de máximo lujo, los cofres y píxides de marfil producidos para la corte de los califas omeyas en Córdoba a finales del siglo X representan la cumbre del arte islámico en la Península Ibérica. A diferencia de los otros ejemplares, esculpidos con follaje, elementos arquitectónicos y figuras, la decoración de la píxide de la Hispanic Society es exclusivamente de ataurique o arabescos. Sus motivos decorativos tienen connotaciones metafóricas como símbolos de fertilidad, prosperidad y erotismo. Esta píxide o bote de marfil cilíndrico y su tapa semiesférica rematada en pomo de granada se unen por detrás con doble bisagra de plata dorada, cincelada y nielada. Encima se ha embutido una placa de plata y tiene un asa trilobulada. El interior es liso, mientras que el exterior está cubierto con decoración vegetal, de ataurique, esculpida con una profundidad de cuatro milímetros de los siete de grosor que tiene la pared del marfil. La base del bote y de la tapa llevan cordones tallados, símbolo de la eternidad, y enmarcan una inscripción en caracteres cúficos. La inscripción, tallada en resalte, contrasta con la firma del artista, Jalaf, que va incisa y colocada entre el espacio de la doble bisagra de la tapa, sin que forma parte del poema:

El aspecto que ofrezco es el mejor,
el seno de una moza que no se abate.
La belleza (obra de Jalaf) me ha investido
con una túnica que se enorgullece de aljófares.
Soy recipiente para el almizcle,
el alcanfor y el ámbar.

Este poema habla en primera persona ponderando la belleza que tiene la pieza en sí misma y la compara con el pecho turgente de una joven. Además, nos informa sobre la función que tenía el bote: contener perfumes de lujo, utilizados con fines medicinales y cosméticos y eróticos. Existe una arqueta de marfil en la iglesia de Santa María de Fitero (Navarra) firmada por Jalaf y fechada en 966. Su inscripción nos informa dónde se hizo, Madīnat al-Zahrā’, la ciudad califal cerca de Córdoba, y para quién, la princesa Wallāda, hija de ‘Abd al Raḥmān III y hermana de al-Ḥakam II. Otra arqueta de marfil, ahora en el Instituto Valencia de Don Juan, de Madrid, da la misma información, aunque omite la firma del artífice.

Se han conservado seis píxides completos similares: una en el Museo Arqueológico Nacional de Madrid, procedente de la catedral de Zamora (inv. 52113), hecha en 964 para Ṣubḥ, favorita de al-Ḥakam II y madre de ’Abd al-Raḥmān, primer hijo de este califa, muerto prematuramente; otra en el Musée du Louvre de París (inv. OA 4068), hecha para al-Mugīra, hermano de al-Ḥakam II, en 968; dos en el Victoria and Albert Museum de Londres, la de al-Ḥakam, de hacia 965 (inv. 217-1865), y la de Ziyād ibn Aflaḥ, prefecto de policía, hacia 969-970 (inv. 368-1880); otra en el tesoro de la catedral de Braga, destinada a Sayf al-Dawla, hijo de al-Manṣūr, de hacia 1004, y la presente de la Hispanic Society. La evidencia documental ratifica que los talleres de eboraria de Madīnat al-Zahrā’ durante la época del califato (929-1003) tenían un carácter áulico y que la producción estaba restringida al ámbito elitista y palatino.

Es probable que la píxide de la Hispanic Society formara parte del tesoro de alguna catedral, iglesia o monasterio. El aprecio que los cristianos tenían por estas piezas hizo que se conservaran, cambiando su función de vasos de perfumes por relicarios. La costumbre de colocar píxides y arquetas para adornar el altar y poner reliquias de santos en ellas era muy común en la Edad Media. Ejemplos documentados incluyen la arqueta de marfil convertida en relicario para Santo Domingo de Silos (hoy día en el Museo de Burgos, inv. 198), las arquetas de Leyre (Pamplona, Museo de Navarra, inv. CE000038) y de Palencia (Madrid, Museo Arqueológico Nacional, inv. 57371) o la mencionada píxide de Zamora. CdA

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
COFFRET ÁRABE 1870 "Un coffret árabe," Le Magasin Pittoresque (Paris), 38 (1870), pp. 4-6
BURLINGTON 1879 Burlington Fine Arts Club [London], Catalogue of Bronzes and Ivories of European Origin, Exhibited in 1879. London: Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1879, p. 45, no. 270
GILMAN 1927 [Beatrice I. Gilman], Hispano-Moresque Ivory Box. New York: The Hispanic Society of America, 1927
CASKEL 1936 Werner Caskel, Arabic Inscriptions in the Collection of the Hispanic Society of America. New York: The Hispanic Society of America, 1936, pp. 35-36
KÜHNEL 1971 Ernst Kühnel, Die Islamischen Elfenbeinskulpturen, VIII, XIII Jahrhundert. Berlin: Deutscher Verlag für Kusntwissenschaft, 1971, pp. 36-37
PRADO-VILAR 1997 Francisco Prado-Vilar, "Circular Visions of Fertility and Punishment: Caliphal Ivory Caskets from Al-Andalus,"Muqarnas: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World, 14 (1997), pp. 21-22, fig. 4
SILVA SANTA-CRUZ 1999 Noelia Silva Santa-Cruz, "Nuevos datos para el estudio de dos piezas de eboraria califal: arquetas de la iglesia parroquial de Fitero y del Instituto Valencia de Don Juan," Anales de Historia del Arte, 9 (1999), pp. 27-33
LENAGHAN ET AL. ( EDS. ) 2000 Patrick Lenaghan, Mitchell A. Codding, Mencía Figueroa Villota, and John O’Neill (eds.), The Hispanic Society of America. Tesoros. New York: The Hispanic Society of America, 2000, pp. 126-27, no. 12
CODDING ET AL. 2004 Mitchell A. Codding, Marcus B. Burke, Patrick Lenaghan, and John O’Neill, The Hispanic Society of America: A Centennial Celebration. New York: The Hispanic Society of America, 2004, pp. 17, 38
ECKER 2004 Heather Ecker, Caliphs and King: The Art and Influence of Islamic Spain [Exh. Cat., Washington D.C., Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 8 May-17 October 2004]. Washington D.C.: Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 2004, pp. 26-27, 125-26, no. 18
HILLENBRAND 2005 Robert Hillenbrand, "The Syrian Connection: Archaic Elements in Spanish Umayyad Ivories," in The Ivories of Muslim Spain: Papers from a Symposium Held in Copenhagen from the 18th to the 20th of November 2003, ed. by Kjeld von Folsach and Joachim Meyer, monographic issue of Journal of the David Collection, 2, 1 (2005), p. 65
FOLSACH AND MEYER (EDS.) 2005 Kjeld von Folsach and Joachim Meyer (eds.), The Ivories of Muslim Spain: Papers from a Symposium Held in Copenhagen from the 18th to the 20th of November 2003, ed. by Kjeld von Folsach and Joachim Meyer, monographic issue of Journal of the David Collection, 2, 2 (2005), p. 322, no. 14
BUSH 2017 Olga Bush, "Poetic Inscriptions and Gift Exchange in the Medieval Islamic World," Gesta, 56, 2 (2017), pp. 183, 192-97, fig. 1
CODDING ( ED. ) 2017 Mitchell A. Codding (ed.), Tesoros de la Hispanic Society: Visiones del mundo hispánico. Madrid, New York: Museo Nacional del Prado, The Hispanic Society of America, 2017, pp. 100-1, no. 17
CODDING ( ED. ) 2018a [Spanish edition] Mitchell A. Codding (ed.), Tesoros de la Hispanic Society of America. Mexico City, New York: Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, The Hispanic Society of America, 2018, pp. 88-89, no. 17
CODDING ( ED. ) 2018b [English edition] Mitchell A. Codding (ed.), Visions of the Hispanic World: Treasures from The Hispanic Society Museum & Library. New York: The Hispanic Society of America, 2018, no. 17

Accession Number: D752