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Greek, Attica

Drinking Cup (Kylix), ca. 550-525 BCE

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Greek

Title

Drinking Cup (Kylix)

Year

ca. 550-525 BCE

Medium

Terracotta, black-figure

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • clay

Techniques

  • terracotta,
  • black-figure

Dimensions

Height: 7.6 cm (3 inches)

Place

Attica; Etruria

Type

  • Ceramics

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

22.214

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Betty Woodman

February 18 - May 1, 2005

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries

This drinking cup (kylix) is an example of the elaborately painted vessels used during symposia in ancient Greece. The broad, shallow bowl with two handles atop a pedestal base permitted the drinker to maintain a recumbent pose while drinking, as was customary in a symposium. The decorative elements of this kylix demonstrate the Athenian use of imagery to inform, engage, and entertain. Between the large, painted eyes are a satyr and a maenad, followers of the wine god Dionysos. This mythological allusion communicates the intended function of the vessel as a wine cup. The very act of bringing the cup to the drinker’s mouth transforms the cup into a mask; the painted eyes become the drinker’s, the handles turn into ears, and the round base converts into an open mouth.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Drinking Cup (Kylix) with the accession number of 22.214. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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