Terracotta fragment from a kantharos: head vase? or rhyton?
Unknown Artist
490–470 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Late Archaic/Early Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dietrich von Bothmer, Distinguished Research Curator, Greek and Roman Art, 2011
Accession Number
2011.604.2.1221
Art Historical Context
This intriguing terracotta fragment, dating to 490–470 BCE, hails from Attic Greece during the pivotal Late Archaic to Early Classical period. Crafted by an unknown potter, it once belonged to a kanth—a deep, two-handled drinking cup popular in symposia, social gatherings where wine flowed freely among elite Athenians. The fragment's uncertain form, possibly part of a whimsical head vase (shaped like a human or animal head) or ahyton (a horn-like pouring vessel), hints at the innovative experimentation in vessel design at the time, blending utility with playful artistry. Terracotta, fired cla...