thumb|292x292px|Silver kylix with [[Helen of Troy|Helen and Hermes, BC]]
In the pottery of ancient Greece, a kylix ( , ; ; also spelled cylix; : kylikes , ) is the most common type of cup in the period, usually associated with the drinking of wine. The cup often consists of a rounded base and a thin stem under a basin. The cup is accompanied by two handles on opposite sides.
The inner basin is often adorned in the bottom so that as the liquid is consumed an image is revealed; this adornment is usually in a circular frame and called a tondo. There are many variations of the kylikes, other cups available in the era include the skyphos, or the kantharoi. Kylikes were also popular exports, being the most common pottery import from Attica found in Etruscan settlements.
Etymology
left|thumb|217x217px|Kylix from below
The Greek word kylix, meaning 'cup', could refer to both a drinking vessel as well as the cup shape of a flower. It is possibly related to the Latin word calix, also meaning 'cup', and may have originally been borrowed from a non-Indo-European language. Kylix appears to in antiquity refer to the characteristic wide and short shape of the vessel and may have referred to many types of drinking vessels.
Some types of kylikes have their own names with their own etymology. One such variety is komast cups, where komast refers to the name of the type of drunken figures painted on them, which is characteristic of the style. Another uniquely named type is a Siana cup, which is named after a site in Rhodes where it was originally found. The last major variety that has a specific name is the Little-Master cup, which is translated from German which references the small scale of the adornments on the cup. However, the images in the tondo contained a variety of themes meant to surprise and amuse the party guest.
One such theme is that of sailing, often adorning mixing vessels in the late 6th century, ships and other maritime scenes were popular, as there were comparisons made between symposiums and sailing in literature of the time. Other themes would include humorous designs, including on the base of the cup, such as the male genitals on the Bomford cup, a late 6th century kylix.
At symposiums the process of mixing the wine was completed by a master of ceremonies then passed around by a young male slave. Thus the shape of the kylix may have been an ideal shape for not only displaying art, but also for the reclined positions that men would sit or lay in while drinking at symposiums. The short broad shape allowed for reclined drinking with minimal risk of spilling. The handles allowed the guests to play kottabos,
Type B is very reminiscent of Type A, except the stems are thinner and has a more curved joining from the basin to the stem of the cup.
Another type is the Siana cup; this style is known for its tall feet and lips when compared to the komast cups. They are also defined with a decorated tondo and are decorated in a style reminiscent of eastern Greek traditions.
Little-Master cups are named for the small details in their decorative elements, they are characterized by half globe basins and tall thin stems.]]
Kylikes are most famous for their adornments; adorned kylikes were part of a set used for special occasions such as a symposium, the most common kylikes were of a solid color without adornment. Later designs included the presence of roosters, which is believed to be reminiscent of the fact that an older man may gift a young man a rooster as a sign of love. It is debated if this is the reasoning behind the presence of roosters as cock fighting was also a common form of entertainment at the time, many other common symbols seen in the art of kylikes are similarly debated in meaning. A few of the more famous painters of the time were Onesimos, Makron, and Douris.
Ridged varieties of kylix have much more variety in shape and appear to have less consistent qualities of craftsmanship than those with smooth profiles. This may be due to smooth profiled kylikes being intended for more elite consumers who could pay for more carefully made and decorated pieces. Kylikes that had been polished or had their pores filled with slip made better drinking vessels as they did not absorb the liquid they contained. Most kylikes were made of ceramics however, but it is believed they were modeled after metal drinking vessels of the elite.
Famous pieces
Individual kylikes with articles include:
- Arkesilas Cup, very unusual because it shows a then-living political figure, Arkesilaos II, king of Kyrene (died 550 BC). It is dated to about 565/560 BC, and is now in Paris.
- Dionysus Cup, famous for its painting, 540–530 BC. It is one of the masterpieces of the Attic black-figure potter Exekias and one of the most significant works in the Staatliche Antikensammlungen in Munich.
- Berlin Foundry Cup, a red-figure kylix from the early 5th century BC. It is the name vase of the Attic vase painter known conventionally as the Foundry Painter. Its most striking feature is the exterior depiction of activities in an Athenian bronze workshop or foundry. It is an important source on ancient Greek metal-working technology.
- Brygos cup of Würzburg, an Attic red-figure kylix from about 480 BC. It was made by the Brygos potter and painted by the man known as the Brygos Painter. Its symposium scenes are some of the best-known images of Greek pottery.
See also
- Gordion cup
- Wine accessory