Terracotta rim fragments of kylikes (drinking cups)
Unknown Artist
490–470 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Late Archaic/Early 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
2011.604.1.6776a, b
Art Historical Context
These delicate terracotta rim fragments fromikes—shallow drinking cups—offer a glimpse into the refined world of ancient Athens around 490–470 BCE. Crafted in Attic Greece during the Late Archaic Early Classical period, they belong to a time of artistic transition, when potters and painters bridged the ornate black-figure style with the innovative red-figure technique, allowing figures to emerge vividly against a clay background. Though the artist remains unknown, these pieces exemplify the high craftsmanship of Attic workshops, where everyday vessels doubled as canvases for mythological scene...