Terracotta fragments of a kylix (drinking cup)

Art Historical Context

These terracotta fragments come from a kylix, a shallow, two-handled drinking cup central to ancient Greek symposia—lively social gatherings where men reclined, shared wine, recited poetry, and debated philosophy. Dating to the late Archaic period (520–500 BCE), this Attic piece hails from Athens, the epicenter of Greek pottery production. Craftsmen shaped the clay on a potter's wheel, fired it in kilns, and likely adorned it with painted scenes using the black-figure technique—silhouetted figures incised with details—or the emerging red-figure style, where backgrounds were painted black to hi...