Terracotta rim fragment of a mastoid (drinking cup with narrow base)?
Unknown Artist
late 6th 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
2011.604.3.2978
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment hails from a *mastoid*, a distinctive one-handled drinking cup with a narrow base crafted in Attic Greece during the late 6 century BCE. Part of the vibrant Archaic period (c. 700–480 BCE), when Athens emerged as a hub of pottery innovation, this piece reflects the everyday elegance of ancient Greek tableware. Mastoids were favored for symposia—lively social gatherings where men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy—balancing stability on their slim pedestals while fitting comfortably in one hand. Terracotta, fired clay valued for its durability an...