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Skyphos (Drinking Cup)

A work made of terracotta, black-figure.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of terracotta, black-figure.

Date:

About 500-480 BCE

Artist:

Attributed to the CHC Group
Greek; Athens

About this artwork

This cup was shaped to fit easily in the drinkers hand, and was likely used as part of the Greek symposium. Much like modern academic symposiums, in which people discuss a topic of common interest, debunking old theories and putting forth new hypotheses; the men of ancient Athens regularly got together in private homes to exchange ideas. Afterward the participants might continue the conversation, discussing their impressions in greater detail or simply socializing over a drink. As the evening progressed, participants engaged in other pleasures, including games, performances, and sex.

Wine played a major role in fueling these evenings, and a myriad of vessels were used for preparing wine while smaller vessels like this one were used to serve and drink it.

Status

On View, Gallery 151

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Greek

Title

Skyphos (Drinking Cup)

Place

Athens (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

500 BCE–480 BCE

Medium

terracotta, black-figure

Dimensions

10.6 × 23.2 × 16.5 cm (4 3/16 × 9 1/8 × 6 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of John Astley-Cock

Reference Number

1929.943

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/4183/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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