Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
6th/5th centuries BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic /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
2011.604.5.186
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, a shallow drinking cup with handles popular in ancient Greece, hails from Attic workshops during the transitional Archaic to Classical periods (6th–5th centuries BCE). Produced in Athens, the heart of Greek pottery innovation, kylikes like this were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, debated philosophy, and enjoyed wine mixed with water. Though only a fragment survives, it offers a glimpse into everyday luxury items that bridged utility and artistry. Attic vases, crafted from fired clay and often decorated in black-...