Terracotta fragment of a skyphos (deep drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
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
2011.604.3.1345
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a skyphos, a deep two-handled drinking cup popular in ancient Greek symposia, dates to the early 5th century BCE. Hailing from Attic Greece—the renowned pottery workshops of Athens during the Archaic period—it exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of a time when Athens was emerging as a cultural powerhouse. Though only a piece survives, it offers a glimpse into everyday luxury for the elite, where such vessels facilitated communal feasting and philosophical discourse. Attic potters mastered terracotta firing and decoration techniques, often employing black-figu...