Roman Leaded Bronze Strigil

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A lovely example of a strigil created from a single sheet of hammered leaded bronze with a wide, curved blade that tapers to a rounded end. The upper half of the blade straightens out before protruding just slightly along the bottom of the rectangular handle, and the handle itself is folded backwards to form a slender suspension loop. In the Classical World, athletes would apply olive oil to their bodies and scrape the skin's surface with a strigil to clean themselves. Demonstrating this, numerous ancient vase paintings depict athletes using strigils to cleanse themselves following exercise. Size: 0.625" W x 6.2" H (1.6 cm x 15.7 cm); 6.7" H (17 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#167381
Condition Report: Professional restoration to entire handle and nearly invisible repair to midsection of blade, with resurfacing and overpainting along new material and break lines. Slight bending to overall form of blade, with encrustations and areas of oxidation, and light abrasions. Nice patina throughout.