Skyphoi

A skyphos (plural skyphoi) is a two-handled, cup-shaped drinking vessel from ancient Greece. The typical form features a deep, rounded bowl with a low foot, and handles placed on opposite sides near the rim. The body can be spherical or slightly ovoid, and the lip is broad and rounded. Most skyphoi are ceramic, though metal examples occur in some periods.

Decoration and variants: Skyphoi were frequently decorated with black-figure or red-figure painting on Attic wares, and white-ground skyphoi were common in funerary contexts. Motifs range from mythological scenes and athletes to everyday activities and geometric patterns. The size and profile of skyphoi vary by region and era, producing several regional subtypes.

Use and social context: Skyphoi were primarily drinking vessels for wine, typically diluted with water, and were common at domestic gatherings as well as symposia. In later periods, they also appear in burials and as grave offerings, reflecting broader ritual or commemorative functions.

Chronology and regional variation: The form emerges in the late Geometric period and remains in use through the Classical and into the Hellenistic eras. Attic production dominates the corpus; Corinthian and other Greek regions produced their own variants, and Greek skyphoi are also found in Etruscan contexts through trade and exchange.

Relationship to other vessels: The skyphos is distinct from the kylix, which has a wider, shallower bowl and a different rim and handle arrangement. In all cases, the two-handled cup remains recognizable for its two opposed side handles and relatively deep bowl.