Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup) 500 BC

This fragment of a terracotta drinking cup, known as a kylix, was made by Epiktetos. Terracotta, meaning "baked earth," speaks to the fundamental process of shaping and firing clay. Notice how the painted decoration, rendered in a stark black glaze against the reddish clay, is integral to the cup's function. The black glaze would have been applied carefully, requiring skilled hands to achieve the clean lines, and the firing process itself transforms the clay, rendering it durable. Cups like these were not just functional items; they were integral to social rituals, used in symposia, gatherings where men would drink, converse, and engage in intellectual pursuits. The creation of these cups involved skilled labor, from the potter who shaped the form to the painter who added the decoration. By considering the material and the making, we can see how even a fragment of pottery encapsulates the social and cultural values of its time.