Cup, miniature
Unknown Artist
3rd–2nd centruy BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
Other (width w/ handles): 15/16 × 1 3/4 in. (2.4 × 4.4 cm) Diameter: 1 1/4 × 1 1/8 × 7/8 in. (3.2 × 2.9 × 2.3 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Etruscan · Hellenistic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, 1896
Accession Number
96.9.207
Art Historical Context
This delicate miniature terracotta cup, by an unknown Etruscan artist in the3rd–2nd BCE during the Hellenistic period, exemplifies refined pottery traditions of ancient Etruria. Measuring just under 2 inches wide with handles and a diameter of about 1¼ inches, its petite scale suggests it may have served ceremonial, votive, or decorative purposes than everyday use—common for such diminutive vases in Etruscan culture. Etruscan art, flourishing in central Italy before Roman dominance, blended indigenous styles with strong Hellenistic Greek influences, evident in the period's graceful forms and ...