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
2011.604.1.7962
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece around 460–450 BCE, the heart of the Classical period. Crafted in Athens during its golden age after the Persian Wars, such vases were everyday luxuries used in symposia—lively social gatherings where men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy. The kylix's wide, low profile allowed it to float in mixing bowls, adding flair to these rituals. Though only a fragment survives, it exemplifies Attic pottery's masterful terracotta work: wheel-thrown clay fired to a warm red hue, often adorned wit...