Terracotta mastoid (drinking cup with narrow base)

Greek, Attic

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171

Obverse, between eyes, seated youth with branches
Reverse, between eyes, nose

The mastoid is a variant of the skyphos characterized by the breast-like shape, which provides its name. The eyes on either side reflect a predilection in Attic vase-painting between about 540 and 500 B.C. While their meaning has not been conclusively established, they certainly have to do with the insights afforded by the consumption of wine and its perils. Mastoids are among the vases for drinking imported into Etruria in large numbers.

Terracotta mastoid (drinking cup with narrow base), Terracotta, Greek, Attic

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Terracotta mastoid (drinking cup with narrow base), Terracotta, Greek, Attic
Terracotta mastoid (drinking cup with narrow base), Terracotta, Greek, Attic

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