Why was this made, and how was this used?
This pyxis is elegant and was probably used for small and valuable objects like jewelry. It was probably made by a Muslim metal worker for a Christian patron. It may have been a commissioned piece, as the details on it are quite specific and may have been specially requested.
This pyxis has multiple scenes that contribute to the argument that this was made for a Christian. The most obvious is the scene of Christ on a donkey riding into Jerusalem. This is one of the most pivotal scenes in the Bible, where Jesus enters Jerusalem and is greeted by hundreds of people welcoming him in. What’s interesting about this scene is how small the image actually is.
Other images, like the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus on the lid, are larger, and their larger size makes them seem more important to the artist (or maybe to the patron). Here, we see Mary mother of God holding the infant Jesus in her arms. Mary is sitting down with her legs crossed, a rare depiction. She is wearing a turban resembling the headgear of the Syrian Arab community. It seems as if the way that Mary is depicted has been impacted by the artist's knowledge of Islamic traditions.
