Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)

Art Historical Context

This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the first quarter of the 4 century BCE, during the Late Classical period. Crafted in the renowned pottery workshops of, kylikes like this were essential to the symposion—the lively Greek social gathering where men reclined, drank wine mixed with water, and engaged in intellectual discourse, poetry, and games. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the everyday elegance of ancient Athenian life, where such vessels were both functional and finely decorated. Attic terracotta vases represent a pinnacle ...