This statue represents a naked boy wearing only a ribbon in his hair, which here refers to victory. It is not certain whether or not the head originally belonged to the statue; the right arm and the support are modern supplements.
The left hand of the boy, held to his chest, clutches tiny objects: these are the knuckle bones of animals, astragaloi, used as dice in games of skill and luck, and were very popular in antiquity. Through the astragaloi, the statue immortalises the boy whose grave it once adorned as a winner.
Marble analyses conducted by Danielle Decrouez (Geneva, Museum of Natural History) and Karl Ramseyer (University of Bern, Institute of Geological Sciences) have shown that the statue was made of Usak marble. Click here for the detailed results.
