Pandora was the first woman created by the gods in the Greek myth associated with the famous sealed container.
Hesiod tells the story in Works and Days, where Zeus has Pandora fashioned after Prometheus gives fire to humanity. The gods contribute different qualities or gifts, and Hermes brings her to Epimetheus, Prometheus's brother.
The myth explains the arrival of troubles among humans. Pandora opens the container, releasing its contents, while hope remains inside according to the usual reading of the story. Her name is commonly understood as meaning “all-gifted” or “all-giving.”
A common modern mix-up is calling the object a box. Hesiod used the Greek word pithos, meaning a large storage jar; the box wording became standard much later through translation and artistic tradition.