Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
500–490 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
2011.604.1.6079
Art Historical Context
This exquisite terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece around 500–490 BCE, during the late Archaic period. Attributed to the master vase-painter Apollodoros, one of the pioneering figures in the red-figure technique, it exemplifies the height of Athenian pottery artistry. Kylixes like this were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and engaged in philosophical discourse—often featuring scenes from mythology or daily life painted on their interiors and exteriors. Apollodoros's work marked a revolutionary...