Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
470–450 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
2011.604.1.118
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece during the High Classical period (470–450 BCE).ed in the renowned pottery workshops of Athens, it exemplifies the exquisite vase-making tradition that defined Greek art. Kylikes like this were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine mixed with water, and engaged in philosophical discourse, poetry, and games. Terracotta, fired clay painted with mineral slips, allowed Attic artists to create intricate scenes on functional objects. Though only a fragment s...