Terracotta fragments of column-kraters (bowls for mixing wine and water)?
Unknown Artist
second quarter of the 5th century 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
2011.604.2.2291a–d
Art Historical Context
These terracotta fragments from column-kraters, dating to the second quarter of the th century BCE, originate from Attic Greece during the Classical period—a golden age of Athenian democracy, philosophy, and artistic innovation. Column-kraters were stately mixing bowls used in sympos, elite male gatherings where wine was diluted with water to encourage conversation, poetry recitation, and intellectual discourse. Standing tall on column-like handles, these vessels were both functional and ceremonial, embodying the refined social customs of ancient Athens. Crafted from terracotta—a fired clay p...