Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix: eye-cup (drinking cup)?
Unknown Artist
530–510 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
2011.604.3.2419
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from kylix—an elegant, shallow drinking cup—offers a glimpse into the vibrant symposia of Archaic Athens around 530–510 BCE. Hailing from Attic Greece, the heartland of classical pottery production, it may belong to an "eye-cup," a whimsical type where large, staring eyes adorn the vessel's exterior. When lifted to the lips, these eyes aligned to gaze directly at the drinker or fellow revelers, blending functionality with playful symbolism—perhaps warding off evil or evoking a watchful god like Dionysus, patron of wine and festivity. Crafted in terracotta...