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
2011.604.1.7048
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, crafted by the renowned Attic vase-painter Douris around500–480 BCE, a glimpse into the vibrant of Archaic Greek artistry. Dating to the late Archaic period, it exemplifies the exquisite pottery produced in Athens, where potters and painters collaborated to create functional yet beautifully decorated vessels for everyday elite life. Kylikes like this one were essential to the symposion, the Greek social gathering centered on wine, conversation, and intellectual exchange. Douris, one of the era's most prolific and innovat...
About the Artist
Douris
Douris, an Athenian red-figure vase-painter and potter, flourished from around 500 to 460 BCE during the transition from Archaic to early Classical art.) One of the most prolific artists of his era, he signed approximately 39 vases as painter, one as both painter and potter, and one as potter alone, with scholars attributing between 250 and 300 additional works to his hand based on stylistic analy...