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
2011.604.1.4159
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the second quarter of the 5th century BCE, the height of the Classical period. in Athens, the epicenter of ancient Greek pottery, such vessels were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where men reclined, drank wine mixed with water, and engaged in philosophical discourse, poetry, and games. Kylikes were prized for their wide, stemless shape, ideal for passing around, and often featured intricate painted scenes on both interior and exterior surfaces. Attic terracotta vases like this ...