Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
500–480 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
2011.604.1.5143
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece during the late Archaic period (500–480 BCE). Crafted in the vibrant hub of ancient Athens, kylikes like this were essential for symposia—lively male gatherings for wine, conversation, and philosophy. Though only a piece survives, it exemplifies the exquisite pottery that defined Greek artistic output, fired in kilns to create durable terracotta vessels adorned with painted scenes (often in the emerging red-figure technique by this era). Attic vases hold immense historical value, offering glimpses into myt...