Attic Red-Figure Kylix (Drinking Cup) Fragment

ca. 450 BCE

1 13/16 x 1 7/8 x 3/16 in. (4.6 x 4.8 x 0.4 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• Attic - Style and culture of the region of Attica. For culture particular to the capital of Attica, Athens, use "Athenian."
• kylikes - Ancient Greek drinking vessels in the form of a broad, shallow bowl set on a high foot or pedestal with two upcurving handles.
• meanders - Running ornament consisting of continuous winding lines, either angular or curving. Its name is taken from the river Meander in Turkey (ancient Asia Minor), which twists and turns upon itself like the ornamental motif.
• Red-figure - Refers to a style of Greek vase painting that developed from the Black-figure style. It appeared in Athens around 530 BCE and spread to other areas of Greece, southern Italy, Etruria, and elsewhere in the Mediterranean area, until it disappeared in the third century BCE. The style is characterized by a particular technique, which involves the use of refined slip and a two-phase firing process to create a black ground through sintering, with figures reserved in red. The details of the figures are more fluid than in the Black-figure style, and are typically drawn with a brush, using both a defined, black relief line and a more dilute line that varies in color from dark gold to black.
• sherds - Limited to fragments of pottery or glass.
• staffs - Long sticks carried in the hand for support in walking.