Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
second quarter of the 5th century 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
2011.604.1.135
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the second quarter of the5th century BCE, the golden age of the Classical period. Produced in Athens, the epicenter of ancient Greek pottery, kylikes like this one were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine mixed with water, and engaged in philosophical discourse, poetry, and games. Though only a fragment survives, it offers a tantalizing glimpse into the refined craftsmanship of Attic vase-makers, whose workshops exported these vessels across the Mediterranea...