C. 300 BC. Southern Italian. Beautiful terracotta pyxis comprising lid and bowl. The lid comprises a disk-shaped handle and inverted conical body while the bowl is hemispherical with equally spaced loop handles and a ring foot. Bowl is a covered in a black glaze while the lid features a rosette design on the handle and two women (both shown in profile) with elaborate, bejewelled coiffures and beaded necklaces; the women are divided by fields of vegetable designs. A pyxis is a type of vessel used in the ancient world by women for the storage of cosmetics. Excellent condition.Size: L:95mm / W:150mm ; 180g; Provenance: From the private collection of a Kent gentleman; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1980s on the UK /European art markets.