Description
This exquisitely modeled boxer demonstrates the sculptor's ability to realistically render the athletic physique. The figure also reveals the level of excellence Hellenistic artists achieved in small-scale sculpture. The athlete's hands are wrapped with leather thongs, the Greek equivalent of boxing gloves, and he holds a sponge. Lamps that burned olive oil would have been suspended from chains at each corner of the base. Boxing was a popular and violent contest in which almost any blow was permitted, including eye-gouging.
Results