Terracotta calyx-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)

Art Historical Context

This terracotta calyx-krater, created around 450–440 BCE by the Nekyia Painter, is a prime example of Classical Greek vase painting from Athens. Standing just over fifteen inches tall, the vessel was designed as a mixing bowl for wine and water at symposia and other social gatherings. Its broad shape and sturdy handles made it both practical and visually striking on the banquet table. As an Attic work, it reflects the high technical standards of Athenian potters and painters during Athens’s cultural golden age. The krater’s surface likely features mythological scenes involving Apollo, Zeus, a...