This drinking cup (kylix) is an example of the elaborately painted vessels used during symposia in ancient Greece. The broad, shallow bowl with two handles atop a pedestal base permitted the drinker to maintain a recumbent pose while drinking, as was customary in a symposium. The very act of bringing the cup to the drinker’s mouth transforms the cup into a mask; the painted eyes become the drinker’s, the handles turn into ears, and the round base converts into an open mouth.
kylix, also spelled cylix, in ancient Greek pottery, wide-bowled drinking cup with horizontal handles, one of the most popular pottery forms from Mycenaean times through the classical Athenian period. There was usually a painted frieze around the outer surface, depicting a subject from mythology or everyday life, and on the bottom of the inside a painting often depicting a dancing or drinking scene. Kylikes were often produced in sets to accompany a wine serving vessel, or krater.
Information compiled in this site come from the following sources; British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institute, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Acropolis Museum, Encyclopedia Britannica, Egypt Time Travel, Journey to Egypt, Getty Institute, Boston Museum of Fine Art
If you have edits you would like to suggest, please email Michael.Veley@ship.k12.pa.us