Terracotta mastoid (drinking cup with narrow base)

Unknown

ca. 500 BCE · Terracotta · Greek and Roman Art

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 500 BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek, Attic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1941