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
2011.604.1.171
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, dates to the Classical Greek period (470–450 BCE) and hails from Attic workshops in Athens, the epicenter of ancient Greek pottery production. Kylixes like this one were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy or recited poetry. Though only a fragment survives, it offers a glimpse into the refined craftsmanship of Attic vase-painters, who fired clay at high temperatures to create durable, vividly painted vessels exported across the Mediterranean. Attic pottery f...