Terracotta kylix (drinking cup)
ca. 510 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 5 1/16 in. (12.8 cm); diameter 13 3/8 in. (33.9 cm); width with handles 16 3/4 in. (42.6 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.162.128
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Greek and Roman Art galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where this elegant terracotta kylix, crafted by the Epele Painter around 510 BCE, invites you into the lively world of ancient Athens. This shallow, wide-mouthed drinking cup—measuring just over 5 inches tall but spanning nearly 17 inches across with its handles—was designed for the symposion, the quintessential Greek social gathering of men sharing wine, conversation, and poetry. Hailing from Attica during the late Archaic period, it exemplifies the pinnacle of Greek vase-painting, where terracotta vessels served ...