Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
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
2011.604.1.6326
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment of a kylix, created by the Greek artist Ones around 500–480 BCE, offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of Archaic Athens. As a drinking cup, the kylix was central to symposia—social gatherings where Athenian men discussed philosophy, politics, and poetry. Onesimos, a leading painter of the red-figure style, helped pioneer this technique, which allowed for greater detail and naturalism in human figures compared to the earlier black-figure method. Crafted from terracotta, the vessel reflects the everyday artistry of Attic pottery workshops, where functional objects be...