Terracotta fragments of kylikes (drinking cups)
Unknown Artist
6th/5th centuries BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic/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
2011.604.5.687a–h
Art Historical Context
These terracotta fragments from kylikes—shallow drinking cups—offer a glimpse into the vibrant world of ancient Attic Greece during the Archaic and Classical periods (6th–5th centuries BCE). in Athens, the heart of Greek pottery innovation, these pieces were essential for symposia, elite social gatherings where wine flowed and philosophical debates unfolded. Though incomplete, the fragments preserve the delicate curves and glossy surfaces typical of Attic vases, fired in kilns to achieve their characteristic red-orange hue. Artistically, Attic kylikes were masterpieces of the black-figure and...