Terracotta rim fragment of a skyphos (deep drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
second quarter of the 5th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · 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
2011.604.2.1267
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from skyphos—a deep, two-handled drinking cup—offers a glimpse into everyday elegance in ancient Athens. Dating to the second quarter of 5th century BCE during the height of the Classical period, hails from Attic Greece, the epicenter of innovative pottery production Though only a portion survives, such fragments were once part of vessels used in symposia, lively social gatherings where men reclined, debated philosophy, and shared diluted wine. Attic potters mastered terracotta techniques, firing clay at high temperatures and applying glossy black slip fo...