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
2011.604.1.4541
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 Classical periods. Produced in Athens, the epicenter of ancient Greek pottery, kylikes like this were essential for symposia—ively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy or poetry. Though only a fragment survives, it exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of Attic vase-painters, who fired clay at high temperatures to create durable terracotta vessels. Artistically, Attic pottery from this era marked ...