Terracotta fragment of a skyphos (deep drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
490–470 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Late Archaic/Early 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
2011.604.2.1616
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a skyphos, a deep two-handled drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece during the Late Archaic to Early Classical period (490–470 BCE). in Athens, the heart of ancient Greek pottery innovation, such vessels were everyday essentials for symposia—lively social gatherings where men shared wine, philosophy, and poetry. Though only a fragment survives, it offers a tangible link to this vibrant era, bridging the ornate Archaic style and the refined Classicism that followed. Attic terracotta vases like this one showcase masterful wheel-throwing techniques and firing proces...