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
2011.604.1.1237
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment comes from a kylix, a shallow drinking cup popular in ancient Greece for symposia—lively social gatherings where wine flowed and philosophy flourished. Crafted by an unknown Attic artist in the second quarter of 5th century BCE during the height of the Classical period, hails from Athens, the epicenter of Greek cultural and artistic innovation under leaders like Pericles. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek and Roman collection, gifted in 2011 by esteemed curator Dietrich von Bothmer this shard offers a tangible glimpse into everyday luxury. Ter...