Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)

Art Historical Context

This delicate terracotta rim fragment from kylix, a shallow drinking cup popular in ancient Greek symposia, a glimpse into everyday life in Attic Athens during the late Archaic to early Classical periods (6th–5th centuries BCE). Kylixes were essential for social gatherings where men reclined, shared wine, and engaged in intellectual discourse, philosophy, and poetry. Though a portion survives, such fragments reveal craftsmanship of Athenian potters who produced some of the ceramics of the ancient worldAttic vases like this one were typically wheel-thrown from fine clay and fired in kilns to ac...