Terracotta kylix: hybrid Siana lip-cup (drinking cup) 560 BC

This terracotta kylix, a drinking cup, presents us with a narrative frieze, rendered in the red-figure style characteristic of ancient Greece. Circa the 6th century BC, its surface teems with chariots and figures locked in dynamic contest. Note how the horses, symbols of power and speed, are rendered with a vital energy. Consider the evolution of this motif – from the solemn steeds of the Parthenon frieze to the frenzied horses of Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People. Each era imbues the image with its own anxieties and aspirations. Here, we see a more primal, urgent energy. This cup, once held in the hands of symposiasts, speaks to the subconscious human drive for competition and glory. The image is not static, it moves across the epochs, always reflecting our deepest, often conflicting, desires. It's a testament to how symbols endure, adapt, and continue to stir the human spirit.