You may also like...
Come Visit Us
Any item from this site may be viewed by appointment at our Washington, DC location
Tuesday - Friday between 11 am - 5 pm.
Phone: 202 342 0518
RB2010
When viewing ancient athletic scenes, most often a basic "kit" was always included: a sponge, an aryballos, and a strigil. The strigil was a small, curved, metal tool used extensively by the Greeks and Romans and considered essential in caring for the skin. After covering the body with olive oil, it was used to scrape dirt and sweat from their bodies as part of the process of massage, cold or hot baths, exercise, or competitive games. The curved handle allowed the strigil to be hung on a wall, together with the sponge and the aryballos containing the oil (see RB2102 aryballos), and were often used in Roman baths. This strigil is a little more ornate than the usual utilitarian examples for it features a fine concave tapering blade, and is decorated on the handle and exterior of the blade with incised linear decoration, wavy lines, leaves, scrolls, and fish.
For a related example, see Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 97.24
Dimensions: Height: 10 3/4 inches (27 cm)
Condition: Loss to the side of the handle that does not detract, otherwise intact and in very good condition overall. On museum-quality custom mount.
Provenance: S. Zuckerman (1942-2017) collection, acquired from Tetragon, Portobello Road in the 1980s; and thence by descent to the present owner.
We ship Tuesday to Friday with FedEx and usually same day if your order is received before 2pm. Within the continental USA, packing, shipping and insurance is free. Depending on size and destination, delivery times range from one to five business days.
For overseas shipments we charge a small flat rate which includes packing, preparation of all customs paperwork, insurance and carrier fees in compliance with all USA and International customs requirements. Overseas shipments are sent using either USPS Priority Mail or FedEx but contact us if you have a shipping preference. International customers are responsible for all duties and taxes.
Any item from this site may be viewed by appointment at our Washington, DC location
Tuesday - Friday between 11 am - 5 pm.
Phone: 202 342 0518
The rare, the interesting and the exceptional. Browse Sue's curated selection of special objects...
Discover the beauty of ancient jewelry. Our pendant collection is wearable and unique
Just want to see what has recently been added to the website? Check out our latest additions here...
Save 10% on your first order, get all the latest and greatest news, sales, new additions and more.