Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
575–525 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
2011.604.3.2592
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece during the Archaic period (575–525 BCE).ed in the vibrant workshops of ancient Athens, kylikes like this were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy or poetry. Though only a piece survives, it offers a tangible glimpse into everyday luxury and ritual life in the burgeoning democracy of Archaic Athens. Terracotta vases, fired clay painted with mineral-based slips, represent a pinnacle of Greek pottery innovation. This era marked the heigh...