Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
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
2011.604.1.2434
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment comes from a kylix, a shallow, two-handled drinking cup central to social rituals in ancient Athens. Created between 470 and 460 BCE during the Classical period, it belongs to the vibrant tradition of Attic pottery, where Athenian workshops produced finely painted vessels that were exported across the Mediterranean. The kylix form was especially popular at symposia—male drinking gatherings where wine, conversation, and cultural exchange flowed freely—making even fragments like this valuable windows into daily life and artistic tastes of the time. The piece is attribut...