Mirror Support: Athlete
Unknown Artist
460–450 BCE
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
h. 22.5 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1928.659
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
A muscular nude youth strides forward on a square metal plate with his arms outstretched. The plate and the volute decoration that adorns his head suggest that this statuette was the support for a mirror. The youth is likely an athlete, as he holds an alabastron or oil vessel in his right hand. The oil may be an offering to the gods for victory, or to rub onto the skin to protect and beautify his body before an athletic contest. The mirror was made separately and would have been attached to the ...