Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
first half of the 4th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Late 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
2011.604.1.8401
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment comes from a kylix, a shallow drinking cup popular in ancient Greek symposia—lively social gatherings where men reclined, drank wine, and discussed philosophy, politics, and poetry. Crafted by an unknown Attic artist in the first half of the4th century BCE during the Late Classical period, hails from Athens at the height of its cultural golden age, just after the Peloponian War. Attic potters were masters of the craft, producing vases that blended everyday utility with exquisite artistry, often decorated in the red-figure technique that allowed intricate detai...