Terracotta fragment of a kylix (drinking cup) 530 BC

This is a fragment of a terracotta kylix, or drinking cup, made in ancient Greece by the artist Douris. We see two figures, probably women, in red against a black background, their draped clothing delineated with fine lines. These cups were used at social gatherings called symposia, a key institution in Athenian life. Red-figure pottery, like this fragment, was a popular style, and the imagery often reflected the values and pastimes of the Athenian elite. The act of drinking together was bound up with male social identity. Vase painting can be read as both reflecting and shaping those identities. The imagery on these vessels can tell us a lot about the social norms and cultural values of the time. Careful visual analysis combined with research into ancient texts and archaeological findings helps us to understand the world in which this object was made and used. The meaning of art is always shaped by its social and institutional context.