Terracotta rim fragment of a skyphos (deep drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
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
2011.604.3.1424
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from skyphos—a deep, two-handled drinking cup—offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of Archaic Attic Greece around the early 5th BCE. Produced in Athens the heart of ancient Greek pottery innovation, skyphoi were essential for symposia, the lively social gatherings where men shared wine, philosophy, and poetry. Though only a fragment survives, it exemplifies the everyday elegance of Attic vases, crafted from fine clay and fired to a warm reddish hue. Attic potters during the late Archaic period mastered techniques like black-figure and emerging red-figu...