Terracotta kyathos (cup-shaped ladle)
ca. 530–500 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. with handle 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm) diameter 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of F. W. Rhinelander, 1898
Accession Number
98.8.6
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta kyathos or cup-shaped ladle,ails from Attic Greece during the Archaic period (ca. 530–500 BCE). Measuring just 5¼ inches high with a 4-inch diameter, it exemplifies the everyday elegance of ancient Greek pottery. Crafted by the Group of Vatican G.57—a collective of artisans known for their refined black-figure techniques—this vessel was likely used in symposia, the social drinking parties central to Greek male culture, for scooping and mixing wine with water. Terracotta, fired clay, was the medium of choice for such functional wares, allowing mass production while sho...