Etruscan Sculpture
Girl Athlete
Etruscan
replica: from the British Museum, London
date of the original: c. 330-300 BC
provenance of the original: at Palestrina, in the sarcophagus of a woman; now in the British Museum, London
description: Small female figure holding a strigil in left hand with right hand raised and shielding the eyes. Resin with dark green oxidized finish; bronze original. On base: height 25.5 cm, width 7 cm, depth 4 cm.
The original forms the handle of a large and decorative strigil, an instrument used to scrape dust, oil, and sweat from the skin after exercise. The girl herself holds a strigil in her left hand and with her right either shades her eyes or puts the victory crown on her head.
(See also: Girl Acrobat.)