Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
mid-5th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dietrich von Bothmer, Distinguished Research Curator, Greek and Roman Art, 2011
Accession Number
2011.604.1.262
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from a kylix, a shallow drinking cup popular in ancient Greece, dates to the mid-5th century BCE during the Classical period. Crafted in Attic style—the pinnacle of Greek pottery production—this piece hails from Athens, where workshops churned out finely turned vessels for everyday use and symposia, the lively social gatherings of wine, conversation, and philosophy. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the refined craftsmanship of Attic potters, who shaped clay on wheels and often fired it to a glossy red hue before adding black-glaze details. Kylix...