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
2011.604.1.2514
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 ancient Greek artistry, kylikes like this were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and engaged in philosophical discourse. Though only a fragment survives, it exemplifies the exquisite pottery craftsmanship that made Attic vases prized possessions, often exported across the Mediterranean. Terracotta, fired clay valued for its durabil...