Terracotta calyx-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)
ca. 460–450 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 21 15/16 in. (55.8 cm) diameter 22 15/16 in. (58.3 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1907
Accession Number
07.286.86
Tags
Art Historical Context
This terracotta calyx-krater, created around 460–450 BCE by the Painter of the Berlin Hydria, served as a mixing bowl for wine and water at ancient Greek symposia. Standing nearly 22 inches tall with a matching diameter, it exemplifies the refined ceramic artistry of Classical Athens. Such vessels were essential to social gatherings, where diluted wine fostered conversation and celebration among participants. The krater’s red-figure decoration portrays an Amazonomachy, the mythic battle between Greeks and Amazon warriors, on both sides. This popular theme symbolized the triumph of order and c...