Terracotta kylix (drinking cup)

Art Historical Context

This delicate terracotta kylix, or drinking cup, was created around 350 BCE in Athens by the Jena Painter during Greece’s Late Classical period. As an Attic vessel only 3⅝ inches high, it was designed for use at symposia, the convivial gatherings where Athenian men discussed philosophy, politics, and poetry over diluted wine. Its compact form and refined proportions reflect the period’s emphasis on elegance and balance in everyday objects. The cup’s painted decoration includes Eros, horses, and chariots—motifs that evoke themes of love, movement, and divine favor frequently encountered in Greek myth. Such imagery transformed a functional object into a conversation piece, inviting drinkers to reflect on the interplay between human desire and the gods while they dined. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum in 1906, this kylix exemplifies how Attic potters of the fourth century BCE continued to merge utility, narrative, and subtle artistry in vessels that remain among the most vivid records of classical Greek life.