Terracotta fragment of a column-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)
460–450 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · 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
2011.604.2.585
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Classical Athens with this terracotta fragment from a column-krater, a grand mixing bowl for wine and water in symposia—lively social gatherings where philosophers debated and poets recited. Crafted by the Orchard Painter 460–450 BCE, this Attic Greek vase exemplifies the height of red-figure pottery, a technique where artisans painted figures in the clay's natural red tone against a glossy black background, firing the piece to reveal fine details in anatomy, drapery, and daily life scenes. The Orchard Painter, active in mid-fifth-century Athens, earned his name...