Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
second quarter of the 5th century BCE
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
2011.604.1.3633
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the second quarter of the5th century BCE, the height of the Classical period. Produced in Athens, the epicenter of ancient Greek pottery, kylikes were essential vessels forposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy or poetry. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the refined craftsmanship of Attic workshops, where potters and painters collaborated to create functional art that blended utility with storytelling. Attic terracotta vases like this one were typic...