Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
460–450 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · 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
2011.604.1.7725
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece around 460–450 BCE, during the height of the Classical period. Crafted in the renowned workshops of ancient Athens, kylikes like this one were essential to symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy, politics, and poetry. Though only a fragment survives, it offers a tangible glimpse into the refined daily life of classical Athens, a golden age marked by democratic ideals, monumental architecture like the Parthenon, and unparalleled artistic in...