Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)

Art Historical Context

This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the second quarter of the 5th century BCE, the height of the Classical period. in Athens, the epicenter of ancient Greek pottery, such vessels were everyday essentials transformed into works of art. Though only a piece survives, it offers a tantalizing glimpse into the refined craftsmanship of Attic vase-makers, who wheel-threw terracotta clay and often adorned it with intricate red-figure paintings depicting myths, athletes, or symposia scenes. Kylikes like this one were stars of the Greek symposium—a social g...