Kylix (Drinking Cup)
about 540-530 BCE
Medium
terracotta, black-figure
Dimensions
9.2 × 20.5 × 14.6 cm (3 5/8 × 8 1/8 × 5 3/4 in.)
Classification
drinking vessel
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
87650
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This is an example of the most popular type of wine cup in ancient Greece, the kylix. Rising from a round foot and a thin stem, the cup flares out to a wide bowl with two handles on opposite sides. In the decorative band around the lip of this cup, a human figure in Grecian dress is depicted in the company of a lion.
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...