Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
510–500 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
2011.604.1.5604
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece around 510–500 BCE, during the waning years of the Archaic period. Crafted in the vibrant pottery workshops of ancient Athens, kylikes like this were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine mixed with water, and engaged in philosophical discourse, poetry, and games. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the everyday elegance of Archaic Greek life, where finely made ceramics bridged utility and artistry. Terracotta, fired clay valued for its dur...