Terracotta fragment of a skyphos (deep drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
470–460 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · 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
2011.604.2.1689
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment from a skyphos—a deep, two-handled drinking cup—offers a glimpse into everyday life in Classical Athens around 470–460 BCE. Crafted by an unknown Attic potter and painter, it hails from the early Classical period, a golden age for Greek art following the Persian Wars. Skyphoi like this were staples at symposia, intimate male gatherings where wine was mixed with water, philosophy debated, and poetry recited, blending utility with social ritual. Attic terracotta vases were celebrated worldwide for their technical mastery, often decorated in the red-figure techn...