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
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
2011.604.1.3064
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the first quarter of the 5 century BCE, during the Archaic period. Produced in Athens, the epicenter of ancient Greek pottery, kylikes were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and engaged in philosophical discourse. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the vibrant world of these vessels, often adorned with black-figure or early red-figure depicting myths, athletes, or daily life. Artistically, Attic terracotta vases like this one showcase masterful...