Terracotta fragment of a kylix: eye-cup (drinking cup)?
Unknown Artist
530–500 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
2011.604.3.2471
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a kylix, possibly an eye-cup drinking vessel, hails from Archaic Attic Greece around 530–500 BCE. Crafted in the vibrant pottery workshops of ancient Athens, kylikes were essential for symposia—ively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy. Eye-cups, named for their staring eyes painted on the exterior, created a whimsical effect: when lifted to the lips, the vessel transformed into a masked face, adding humor and ritual flair to the festivities. Terracotta vases like this exemplify the Archaic period's mastery of wheel-thro...