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Metadata

Title

[Strigil, Body Scraper] #2

Date

5th-1st Century BCE

Object Name

Artifact/Antiquity

Description

Formed of a single length of metal, with crescent shaped body with concave surface and handle with metal folded back as a strap with indented curved terminal. The strigil has a curved blade, with a bent handle. The piece was originally in the collection of Venice High School (1932-1997). According to an inventory conducted in 1988, the strigil is #49 on the inventory list.

Soap was used for laundry and medicinal purposes in the ancient world, but it was not normally used for bathing until the late 200s A.D. Until then the Romans, like the Greeks before them, cleaned themselves by rubbing the body with oil and an abrasive, like fine sand or ground pumice. They then used a strigil, usually made of bronze, to scrape off the oil and dirt. The curved blade of the strigil fit the shape of the body and its concave form channeled away the oily sludge.

Although both men and women used strigils in the baths, they are most strongly connected with athletes. A strigil, a vase of oil, and a sponge were part of the equipment every athlete took to the gymnasium. Before working out, ancient athletes coated themselves in oil and a light dusting of powder. Because athletes exercised in the nude, this coating helped prevent sunburn and the clogging of pores with dirt. When they were done, this coating, now blended with sweat and perhaps blood, was scraped off with the strigil.

Catalog Number

AA62

School Site #

1341

School Name

LAUSD Art & Artifact Archive/Museum

Dimension Details

8-3/4"l

Material

Copper alloy