Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)

Art Historical Context

This terracotta fragment once formed part of a kylix, a shallow drinking cup central to ancient Greek social life. Created in Athens between 500 and 480 BCE during the Archaic period, it was painted by Onesimos, an accomplished Attic artist whose works helped bridge the transition from black-figure to the more expressive red-figure technique. Such vessels were used in symposia, where men gathered to share wine, conversation, and poetry, turning everyday objects into vehicles for artistic storytelling. Onesimos’s hand is evident in the refined drawing and attention to human form that character...