Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
500–470 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic/Early 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
2011.604.1.5063
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from a kylix, or drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece during the Archaic to Early Classical period (500–470 BCE). Crafted in the bustling pottery workshops of ancient Athens, it represents the pinnacle of Greek vase-making, where everyday vessels doubled as canvases for storytelling. Though only a portion of the rim survives, it evokes the symposia—lively social gatherings of elite men where wine flowed freely, philosophy sparked, and art flourished. Attic potters mastered terracotta firing and innovative painting techniques like black-figure and the eme...