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
2011.604.1.139
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the second quarter of the 5th century BCE, during the height of the Classical period. Produced in Athens, the epicenter of Greek artistic innovation, such kylikes were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and discussed philosophy, politics, and poetry. Though only a fragment survives, it exemplifies the everyday elegance of Attic pottery, crafted from fired clay and often adorned with intricate scenes from mythology or daily life. Attic vases like this on...