Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
first quarter of the 5th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic/Early 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
2011.604.1.2783
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the first quarter of the5th century BCE, pivotal moment bridging the Archaic and Early Classical periods. Produced in Athens, the epicenter of Greek pottery, such vases were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elites reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy or recited poetry. Though the artist remains unknown, Attic workshops were renowned for their mastery, transitioning from black-figure to the revolutionary red-figure technique around this time, which allowed for finer details by...