Terracotta fragment of a mastoid (drinking cup with narrow base) or a kyathos (cup-shaped ladle)
Unknown Artist
late 6th/early 5th century 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
2011.604.3.1133
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment, likely from a mastoid—a narrow-based drinking cup—or a kyathos, a cup-shaped ladle,ails from Attic Greece during the late Archa period (late 6th to early 5th century BCE). Produced in Athens, the heart of ancient Greek pottery innovation, such vessels were everyday essentials for symposia, the lively social gatherings where men shared wine, philosophy, and poetry. Though only a piece survives, it offers a tangible link to this vibrant era, just before the Classical golden age. Terracotta, or fired clay, was the medium of choice for Attic vases, prized for it...