Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
470–460 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
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
2011.604.1.7798
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment of kylix, or shallow drinking cup, was crafted in Athens around 470–460 BCE during the Classical period of ancient Greece. Attic pottery from this era the cultural and artistic peak following the Wars, when Athenian workshops vessels that blended utility with sophisticated decoration. The Bordeaux Painter, whose hand is recognized through distinctive stylistic, contributed to this vibrant tradition of vase painting. As a functional object used in symposia—lively male gatherings centered on wine, conversation, and social bonding—the kylix embodied both daily life and a...