Terracotta rim fragment of a mastoid (drinking cup with narrow base)
Unknown Artist
late 6th/early 5th century 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
2011.604.3.1085
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from mastoid—a specialized Greek drinking cup with a narrow base— a glimpse into the vibrantpotic culture of Archaic Athens. Dating to the late 6th or early 5th century, it hails from Attic workshops, where potters crafted elegant vessels for communal wine-drinking gatherings known as symposia. These cups, often stemless and stable on their pinched bases, were practical yet refined, embodying the period's shift toward more naturalistic forms in pottery. Though only a fragment survives, it exemplifies Attic terracotta's enduring qualities: fired clay value...