Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
first half of the 5th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic/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
2011.604.1.3219
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the first half of the 5th century BCE, bridging the Archaic and early Classical periods. Kylikes like this were essential to the symposion, the all-male Greek drinking party where poetry, philosophy, and politics flowed alongside wine. Crafted in terracotta—a fired clay prized for its durability and suitability for intricate painting—this piece exemplifies the technical mastery of Athenian potters and painters, who decorated vases with black- or red-figure techniques to depict myths, daily life, or athle...