315

The Pugilist     (1st century B.C.), signed by Apollonius     The national Museum, Rome

The Pugilist 13-3/4" H White Bonded Marble on Black Marble Base $355 (less Internet discount of $40) = $315 (freight $22)

There is a hypothesis, which in many respects seems valid, that originally the statue was not that of a single athlete but the dominant figure in a group of three. In that case, the statue was a representation of Amycus, king of the Bebryces, who as a pugilist has been in a bout with the divine Pollux, a superb boxer. The two figures to whom Amycus has raised his head would have been The Dioscuri: Pollux and his twin brother Castor. The bronze statue was signed by Apollonius. So many similarities between the figure and that of the famous Belvedere Torso in The Vatican Museum have been noted that many believe that both statues were done by the same sculptor. This sculpture is imported from Italy and is the same item that was previously available from Eleganza in Seattle.