Terracotta fragment of a stemless kylix (drinking cup)?
Unknown Artist
470–450 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
2011.604.5.131
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a stemless kylix, drinking cup, dates to the Greek period (470–450 BCE) and hails from Attic workshops in Athens—the epicenter of ancient pottery production. Stemless kylikes were popular shapes for symposia, the all-male drinking parties where philosophers, poets, and citizens debated ideas over wine. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the refined elegance of everyday vessels used in domestic and social rituals. Crafted from terracotta, the clay was likely wheel-thrown and fired in kilns, then possibly decorated using the red-figure technique iconic to l...