Strigil with incised decoration

The strigil emerged during the 6th c. BC, a time when athletes held a significant social position, and their use continued until late antiquity. Alongside the aryballos, a small vase intended for scented oils, they constituted the main implements of an athlete’s daily personal hygiene. It was used after physical exercise for scraping off dirt formed of the oil and the sand or the powder sprinkled on the body during training.

The outer surface of the blade is decorated with a fish rendered by small dotted incisions, whereas the rest of the motifs are less distinct: incised band with pairs of tendrils on either side, triangular ornaments and clusters of undulating lines.