Terracotta fragment of a calyx-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water) 530 BC

This terracotta fragment of a calyx-krater, or bowl for mixing wine and water, was made in ancient Greece by an anonymous artist. The scene shows part of a figure, likely male, wearing an elaborate, patterned garment and holding what seems to be a lyre. The bowl would have been a centerpiece during symposia, or male drinking parties, which were important social and political events in ancient Greece. Pottery was closely tied to the rituals and performances of the symposium. The imagery on such vessels offers us a glimpse into the values, beliefs, and social structures of the time. Through careful study of the figure's dress, the musical instrument, and the context of the symposium, we can start to reconstruct the social world in which this object was used and appreciated. We can ask what role music played in society, and what this imagery tells us about the lives of the elite in ancient Greece.