Terracotta column-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)
ca. 475–465 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 17 in. (43.2 cm) diameter 13 11/16 in. (34.7 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1906
Accession Number
06.1021.152
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the lively world of ancient Athens with this striking terracotta column-krater the Pig Painter, dating to around 475–465 BCE. Crafted in Attic Greece during the Classical period, vase—standing 17 inches tall with a 13 11/16-inch diameter—was centerpiece of symposia, elite drinking parties where wine was mixed with water. Its elegant column-shaped handles and wide bowl made it both functional and a canvas for storytelling, exemplifying the red-figure technique where figures emerge in the natural red clay against a glossy black background. The krater vividly captures Dionysian revelry...