Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
first half of the 5th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic/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
2011.604.1.2162
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the first half of the 5th century, bridging the Archaic and Classical periods. Produced in Athens, the heart of ancient Greek pottery innovation, such vessels were everyday luxuries used in symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy or poetry. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the refined craftsmanship of Attic workshops, where potters shaped thin-walled kylikes for balance and elegance during toasts. Attic terracotta vases like thi...