Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
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
2011.604.1.4260
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece during the Archaic period (520–500 BCE). Crafted in the vibrant hub of ancient Athens, such vases were everyday luxuries, often used in symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, shared diluted wine, and engaged in philosophical discourse, poetry, and games. Though only a fragment survives, it offers a glimpse into the masterful pottery workshops of the time, where potters and painters collaborated to produce finely balanced forms prized across the Mediterranean. Attic terraco...