Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)

Art Historical Context

This terracotta fragment from a kylix, or shallow drinking cup, hails from Attic Greece in the first quarter of the 4 century BCE, during the Late Classical period. Crafted in the renowned pottery workshops of, kylikes like this were essential to the symposion—the lively Greek social gathering where men reclined, drank wine mixed with water, and engaged in intellectual discourse, poetry, and games. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the everyday elegance of ancient Athenian life, where such vessels were both functional and finely decorated. Attic terracotta vases represent a pinnacle of ancient Greek artistry, transitioning from earlier black- and red-figure techniques to more fluid, naturalistic styles in the Late Classical era. The clay was wheel-thrown, fired in kilns, and often painted with mineral-based slips depicting mythological scenes, athletes, or daily motifs. This piece's survival underscores the durability of terracotta and the global trade in Greek pottery, which influenced cultures from Italy to the Black Sea. Generously gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011 by Dietrich von Bothmer, a legendary curator of Greek and Roman art, this fragment invites us to piece together the vibrancy of classical antiquity—one sip at a time.