Terracotta kylix (drinking cup)
ca. 460 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 6 7/16 in. (16.4 cm); diameter 14 7/16 in. (36.7 cm); width with handles 18 1/16 in. (45.8 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.162.9
Art Historical Context
This terracotta kylix, or shallow drinking cup, was created in Athens around 460 BCE during the height of the Classical period. Produced in the Attic region, such vessels played a central role in Greek social life, especially at symposia where men gathered to drink wine, converse, and enjoy entertainment. Its elegant proportions and generous size—over 14 inches across—made it both practical and visually striking when passed among guests. The cup is attributed to the Penthesilea Painter, an accomplished artist known for his refined work in the red-figure technique. In this method, figures were...