Terracotta rim fragment of a skyphos (deep drinking cup)
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
2011.604.3.1527
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from skyphos—a deep, two-handled drinking cup—offers a glimpse into everyday life in Archaic Attic Greece, dating to the late 6th or early 5th century. Crafted in the vibrant pottery workshops of ancient Athens, such vessels were essential for symposia, the social drinking parties where philosophers, poets, and citizens gathered to debate and bond. Though only a fragment survives, it exemplifies the technical mastery of Attic vase-makers, who fired clay at high temperatures to create durable, often black- or red-figure decorated wares that were prized acro...