Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
520–500 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic
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
2011.604.1.2442
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from kylix, or shallow drinking cup, dates to the late Archaic (520–500 BCE) and hails from Attica, the heart of ancient Greek pottery production. Attributed to the Ambrosios, a master of the emerging red-figure, it offers a glimpse into the refined artistry of Athenian workshops. Though only a shard survives, it evokes the symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, sipped wine, and debated philosophy politics, and poetry. Kylixes like this were essential to these rituals, their wide, shallow bowls perfect for mixing and sharing diluted w...