Black-Figure Cup - Type A (Wine Cup)
circa 520 BCE-510 BCE
6th century BCE
8.5 cm x 21.5 cm (3 3/8 in. x 8 7/16 in.)
In the manner of the Lysippides Painter
Primary
Object Type:
ceramic
Artist Nationality:
Europe, Greek-Attic
Medium and Support:
Terracotta
Credit Line:
Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Archer M. Huntington Museum Fund and the James R. Dougherty, Jr. Foundation, 1980
Accession Number:
1980.35
A gorgoneion, the fierce face of the mythical Gorgon, a female monster also known as Medusa, turns away evil and reminds the drinker of the dangers of excess. On the exterior, two pairs of eyes, framed by grape vines, turns the kylix into a mask when the cup is held up. The eyes could represent those of the Gorgon or of Dionysus, the god of wine.