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
2011.604.1.8016
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from kylix, a shallow drinking cup popular in ancient Greece around 510–500 BCE, offers a glimpse into the late Archaic period of Att pottery. Crafted in the vibrant workshops of Athens, these vessels were essential for symposia—social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine mixed with water, and engaged in philosophical discourse, poetry, and revelry. Though only a fragment survives, it the refined elegance of everyday luxury in classical antiquity. Attic terracotta vases like this one were wheel-thrown and often decorated using innovative techni...