Attic kylix
- Gallery: Room 69
- Maker: Douris
- Culture: Attic
- Made in: Attica (Greece)
- Date: 485BC-480BC (circa)
- Object type: kylix
- Materials: pottery
- Museum number: 1843,1103.15
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
This is an Attic red-figured kylix, a drinking cup crafted during the late 5th century BC in Athens. On its interior, a single bearded man is shown moving rhythmically with one hand holding a drinking cup and the other gripping a decorated stick. This figure, called a komast, is dressed in an intricately rendered cloak and is part of a symposium theme that Douris, the well-known painter, frequently explored.
The exterior is filled with scenes of symposium life. You’ll find three reclining men on couches, engaged in conversation or receiving wine from attendants. Each scene is lively and detailed, with cups, garlands, and intricate patterns around the handles. These images give us a rare glimpse into the social customs of ancient Greece.
The vase was painted by Douris, a master vase painter known for his elegant style and influence on later artists. His signature appears inside, and Etruscan graffiti on the base suggest it may have been owned or used in Etruria—possibly found later in a tomb at Vulci. Douris's work on this cup belongs to his Middle Period, known for refined compositions and recurring themes like symposia, which were key to understanding elite Greek social life.
See it in person
Attic kylix is on display in Room 69 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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