Terracotta fragment of a column-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)
Unknown Artist
mid-6th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic
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
2011.604.3.522
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a column-krater, dating to the mid-6th century, offers a glimpse into the vibrant of Archaic Attic Greek pottery. Column-kraters were essential vessels in ancient symposia—social gatherings where elite men mixed wine with water, fostering conversation and revelry. Crafted in Attica, the heart of classical Greek ceramics, this piece exemplifies the period's mastery of terracotta, fired clay shaped on a potter's wheel and often decorated with intricate black-figure painting, where figures were incised through a glossy black slip to reveal the red clay beneath. Thou...