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
2011.604.1.5336
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece around 500–480 BCE, during the waning years of the Archaic period Crafted by an unknown artist, it exemplifies the masterful pottery traditions of ancient Athens, where potters and painters collaborated to produce vessels for everyday use and symposia—lively social gatherings of drinking, discussion, and poetry. Kylikes like this one were designed with a wide, stemless form ideal for passing among guests, often adorned with intricate black-figure or emerging red-figure scenes depicting myths, athle...