Terracotta kylix (drinking cup)
ca. 470 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 5 in. (12.7 cm) diameter 12 7/16 in. (31.6 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1923
Accession Number
23.160.54
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant terracotta kylix, or shallow drinking cup, was crafted in Athens around 470 BCE during the Classical period of ancient Greece. Painted by the renowned artist Douris, it exemplifies the refined red-figure technique that allowed for greater detail and naturalism in depicting human forms. As an Attic vase, it reflects the cultural prominence of symposium drinking parties, where such vessels were passed among participants and often featured scenes suited to intimate gatherings. Douris’s work stands out for its graceful line work and attention to movement, qualities that elevated vase...
About the Artist
Douris
Douris, an Athenian red-figure vase-painter and potter, flourished from around 500 to 460 BCE during the transition from Archaic to early Classical art.) One of the most prolific artists of his era, he signed approximately 39 vases as painter, one as both painter and potter, and one as potter alone, with scholars attributing between 250 and 300 additional works to his hand based on stylistic analy...