Fragment of an Attic Red-figure Cup, side A: lower torso and thighs of komast in three-quarter view to right, cloak draped over shoulders and back, at top corner part of a black-glazed cup(?) c. 480

Curator: This fragment, a small piece of ancient pottery, depicts the lower torso of a komast, a reveler, caught mid-dance. It's attributed to the Brygos Painter, a master of Attic red-figure pottery. Editor: It’s striking, even in its broken state. There’s a sense of motion, a sort of suspended energy, like the party stopped abruptly. Curator: Exactly, the dynamism is wonderful. The Brygos Painter was known for capturing figures in motion, documenting the rituals of Athenian social life through imagery. Editor: I’m drawn to the drape of the cloak, somehow both chaotic and graceful. Does the fragment itself tell us anything about the cup's original function or context? Curator: Well, these cups were often used during symposia, drinking parties for Athenian elites. They offer us a window into their leisure activities, their rituals, their world. Editor: Knowing it’s part of something larger, lost to time... it gives the piece a potent melancholy. Curator: Indeed, a tantalizing glimpse of a vibrant past, frozen in clay.