Fragment of a terracotta kylix (drinking cup) 520 BC

Editor: Here we have a fragment from a terracotta kylix, or drinking cup, dating back to 520 BC. It's attributed to Euphronios and is currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm struck by how the remaining figures, rendered in that classic black-figure style, hint at a much larger narrative. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: For me, it's the very act of creation – the labor embedded in the ceramic itself. Think about the extraction of the clay, its refinement, the potter’s wheel shaping the kylix, and the exacting precision of the artist in applying the slip for the figures. Can you imagine the social status this craftman had? How does the fragment challenge our separation of “high art” from “craft”? Editor: It does blur those lines. I usually think of ceramics as functional objects, but here, the decoration is so prominent. It really highlights how much care went into something intended for daily use, but in the hand of a higher social status member. It reminds me to not underestimate art. Curator: Precisely! It's about understanding art through its material conditions. Who was consuming these kylixes? What role did they play in symposiums and social gatherings? The brokenness adds another layer, doesn’t it? We're seeing only a glimpse, yet it speaks volumes about the labor and social life of its time. Editor: I hadn't considered the act of drinking itself as a context! Now I see it's more than just decoration, but a form of communication. Thank you for your thoughts, curator! Curator: It's through analyzing the materials and processes, their place in a social sphere, that the true narratives emerge, so thank you!