Terracotta fragments of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
470 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
4 1/4 × 12 9/16 × 9 9/16 in. (10.8 × 31.9 × 24.3 cm) Diam. of foot: 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm)
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
2011.604.1.17
Art Historical Context
These terracotta fragments from a kylix, a wide, shallow drinking cup popular in ancient Greece, date to 470 BCE the early Classical period in Attic workshops. Produced in Athens, the heart of Greek cultural and political life, kylikes like this were essential for symposia—ively social gatherings where men reclined, drank wine mixed with water, and engaged in philosophy, poetry, and debate. Though incomplete, the fragments preserve the vessel's elegant form, with a diameter of nearly 10 inches at the foot, showcasing the precision of Attic potters. Crafted from fired clay, Attic terracotta va...