Terracotta fragment of a kylix: eye-cup (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
540–520 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
2011.604.3.2368
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment from a kylix—an elegant drinking cup—offers a glimpse into the lively world of Archaic Attic Greece around 540–520 BCE. Known as an "eye-cup," these vessels were a distinctive innovation, featuring large, staring eyes painted on their exteriors. When filled with wine during symposia (elite male drinking parties), the eyes seemed to gaze outward at revelers, blending whimsy with possible protective magic to ward off evil spirits. ed in the vibrant Attic tradition, the kylix exemplifies the period's mastery of terracotta pottery, where clay was fired to create ...