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Wrestler's Weight with Hercules and the Nemean Lion; Wrestling Scene (reverse)

Wrestler's Weight with Hercules and the Nemean Lion; Wrestling Scene (reverse). Culture: Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara). Dimensions: 10 1/4 x 13 3/4 in. (26 x 34.9 cm). Date: ca. 1st century.
As the first of his twelve labors, the Greek mythic hero Herakles was ordered to slay the monstrous Nemean lion. Since the beast's skin was impervious to spears and arrows, Herakles strangled him. He then skinned the lion, taking the pelt as a cloak and the head as a helmet. The lion skin slung over his left arm suggest that the figure on this weight is Herakles, although there is no obvious explanation for the charmingly tame lion that accompanies him. Two half-moon shaped indentations for gripping at the back (not visible) indicate that this object is an athlete's weight.
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Title:
Wrestler's Weight with Hercules and the Nemean Lion; Wrestling Scene (reverse)
Caption:
Wrestler's Weight with Hercules and the Nemean Lion; Wrestling Scene (reverse). Culture: Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara). Dimensions: 10 1/4 x 13 3/4 in. (26 x 34.9 cm). Date: ca. 1st century. As the first of his twelve labors, the Greek mythic hero Herakles was ordered to slay the monstrous Nemean lion. Since the beast's skin was impervious to spears and arrows, Herakles strangled him. He then skinned the lion, taking the pelt as a cloak and the head as a helmet. The lion skin slung over his left arm suggest that the figure on this weight is Herakles, although there is no obvious explanation for the charmingly tame lion that accompanies him. Two half-moon shaped indentations for gripping at the back (not visible) indicate that this object is an athlete's weight.
Technique/material:
schist
Museum:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Credit:
Album / Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Releases:
Model: No - Property: No
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Image size:
3981 x 3982 px | 45.4 MB
Print size:
33.7 x 33.7 cm | 13.3 x 13.3 in (300 dpi)