Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
second quarter of the 5th century 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
2011.604.1.7727
Art Historical Context
This terracotta rim fragment comes from a kylix, the elegant stemmed drinking cup central to ancient social life. Created in Athens during the second of the fifth century BCE in the heart of the Classical period, the vessel would have been used at symposia—lively gatherings where Athenian men shared wine, conversation, and poetry. Its Attic origin places it among the finely crafted pottery that Athens exported across the Mediterranean, reflecting both the city’s artistic leadership and its thriving ceramic industry. The fragment is attributed to the Orleans Painter, whose distinctive style ap...