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
2011.604.1.7359
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, crafted the masterful Attic vase-painter Makron around 500–480 BCE, offers a tantalizing glimpse into late Archaic Greek artistry. Now part of the Metropolitan Museum of’s Greek and Roman Art collection—graciously gifted by Dietrich von Bothmer, the department’s esteemed research curator—this piece exemplifies the pinnacle of Athenian pottery production. Kylikes like this were essential to the symposion, intimate male gatherings where wine, conversation, poetry, and philosophy mingled in elite Athenian society. Makron, o...
About the Artist
Makron
Makron stands as one of the most prolific masters of Attic red-figure vase painting, active in Athens around 490–480 BC during the late Archaic to early Classical transition.) Little is known of his early life or formal training, as such details remain undocumented for many ancient potters and painters of this era. Exclusively employing the red-figure technique—which allowed for intricate detailin...