Kylix Fragments - The faces of Ancient Greece

Kylix Fragments - The faces of Ancient Greece

Kylix Fragments - The faces of Ancient Greece

Portes Magazine

An inverse of the black figure style preceding it in the history of Ancient Greek art, the red figure style was a three-phase firing technique popular from the early 6th century to around the late 3rd century BC.

These pieces of fine ceramic art comprise a collection of kylixes used for wine-drinking.

The drawings on the interior and exterior terracotta cup walls tell the tale of daily life through the faces of Ancient Greece.

Below are notes regarding the image above:

a. FRAGMENT: Interior.

DESCRIPTION: Youth bending to right.

DATE: Archaic, 520–510 B.C.

b. FRAGMENT: Interior.

DESCRIPTION: Head, neck, and part of upper torso of filleted youth with left hand holding a skyphos. A himation is draped over his extended right arm and his left wrist.

DATE: Late Archaic, 490–480 B.C.

c. FRAGMENT: Interior.

DESCRIPTION: Two helmeted warriors readying to throw spears, on top of a city wall.

DATE: Classical, 4th century B.C.

d. FRAGMENT: Exterior.

DESCRIPTION: Part of head and extended arms of youth holding a diskos in both hands.

DATE: Archaic, 520–510 B.C.

e. FRAGMENT: Exterior.

DESCRIPTION: Wreathed youth with a himation draped around his back, and over his extended left arm.

DATE: Late Archaic, 490–480 B.C.

f. FRAGMENT: Interior.

DESCRIPTION: Part of head, neck, and upper torso of a woman wearing a chiton; head, neck, and right shoulder of a bearded man wearing a pilos.

DATE: Late Archaic, 490–480 B.C.

g. FRAGMENT: Interior.

DESCRIPTION: Wreathed youth in a vat treading grapes.

DATE: Archaic, 510–500 B.C.

h. FRAGMENT: Exterior.

DESCRIPTION: Head of youth to right.

DATE: Classical, 470–450 B.C.

i. FRAGMENT: Exterior.

DESCRIPTION: Filleted youth to left with lyre.

DATE: Classical, 2nd quarter, 5th century B.C.

j. FRAGMENT: Interior.

DESCRIPTION: Head, neck, and shoulder of filleted youth wearing a petasos; behind bridge of nose, two letters of an inscription, ES.

DATE: Late Archaic, 490–480 B.C.

k. FRAGMENT: Rim.

DESCRIPTION: Head, neck, shoulders, and upper arms of wreathed youth in profile, to right. Attributed to the Ambrosios Painter.

DATE: Archaic, 520-500 B.C.

l. FRAGMENT: Exterior.

DESCRIPTION: Head and upper torso of woman wearing sakkos and peplos with her right arm extended, holding an unidentified object.

DATE: Classical, 60–450 B.C.

​m. FRAGMENT: Rim.

DESCRIPTION: Helmet.

DATE: Late Archaic, Greek, 490–480 B.C.

COLLECTION: The Metropolitan Museum of Arts

*This article was originally featured on Portes Magazine.
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