Kylix
Date500–475 BC
PeriodLate Archaic
MediumClay
DimensionsHEIGHT: 5 1/8 in. (13 cm)
DIAMETER : 11 3/16 in. (28.4 cm) (rim)
DIAMETER : 11 3/16 in. (28.4 cm) (rim)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN46.3
A kylix is a drinking cup that was frequently used at banquets called symposia. The Ringling cup is decorated with a banquet scene in which a young man reclines on a dining couch propped up by a pillow as he holds two cups of wine. His head turns to look behind him as if he is engaged in conversation with another person just beyond the borders of the painting. Numerous works of art, in addition to literary sources such as Plato's Symposium, testify to the importance of this social activity for ancient Greek men. The symposium typically included a dinner with wine, conversation, music, and readings from literature for entertainment.
On View
Not on viewCollections
Unknown, Greek
late 5th Century BC
Early 5th Century BC
5th Century BC
Unknown
Unknown
800-650 BCE