Terracotta fragment of a skyphos (deep drinking cup)

Art Historical Context

This terracotta fragment from a skyphos, a deep two-handled drinking cup popular in ancient Greece, dates to the second quarter the 5th century. Crafted in Attic workshops during the Classical period—the golden age of Athens—this piece reflects the pinnacle of Greek pottery production. Skyphoi like this one were everyday essentials for symposia, lively social gatherings where men shared wine, philosophy, and poetry, bridging the mortal world with the divine through shared rituals. Attic terracotta vases were celebrated for their technical mastery, often featuring red-figure painting that allowed intricate details to emerge from the fired clay's natural reddish hue. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the vibrancy of Classical art, contemporaneous with masterpieces like the Parthenon. These vessels exported Greek culture across the Mediterranean, influencing distant societies and preserving myths for posterity. A generous gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from Dietrich von Bothmer, a pioneering curator of Greek and Roman art, this shard invites us to ponder the hands that shaped it over 2,400 years ago—reminding us how fragile artifacts carry enduring stories of human ingenuity and festivity.