Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
6th/5th centuries BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic/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
2011.604.5.231
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from kylix, or drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece during the Archaic to Classical periods (6th–5th centuries BCE). in Athens, the epicenter of ancient Greek pottery, such vases were everyday luxuries shaped on a potter's wheel and fired in kilns. Though only a portion survives, it offers a glimpse into the refined craftsmanship of Attic workshops, where potters and painters collaborated to create functional art for symposia—lively social gatherings of elite men. Kylikes were wide, shallow cups ideal for sipping wine mixed with water, often featuring pa...