Terracotta kylix: lip-cup (drinking cup)

Terracotta kylix: lip-cup (drinking cup) by Tleson|Tleson Painter

Medium

Terracotta

Dimensions

H. 6 9/16 in. (16.7 cm) width with handles 12 1/4 in. (31.2 cm) diameter 9 3/16 in. (23.3 cm)

Classification

Vases

Culture & Period

Greek, Attic · Archaic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Fletcher Fund, 1956

Accession Number

56.171.34

Tags

Birds

Art Historical Context

This exquisite terracotta kylix, or lip-cup drinking vessel, crafted around 540 BCE by the potter Tleson and decorated by the Tleson, exemplifies Attic Greek artistry from the Archaic period. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek and Roman Art Departmentacquired via the Fletcher in 1956), it measures about 6½ inches high with a 12¼-inch width including handles. Lip-cups like this one feature their primary decoration on the broad, offset lip, making them ideal for communal drinking at symposia—ancient Greek social gatherings where wine flowed freely. The Tleson Painter worked in the...

About the Artist

Tleson|Tleson Painter ( | ) · | |

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