Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
520–500 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic
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
2011.604.1.2953
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece during the Archaic period (520–500 BCE).ed in the vibrant hub of ancient Athens, kylikes like this were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, sipped diluted wine, and engaged in discourse, poetry, and games. Though only a piece survives, it evokes the everyday elegance of Archaic life, where pottery doubled as canvas for storytelling. Attic terracotta vases represent a pinnacle of Greek artistry, blending masterful wheel-throwing with intricate painting techniqu...