Caestus

Charles Henry Niehaus

1883–85; cast 1901 · Bronze · The American Wing

The Munich-trained Niehaus modeled Caestus in Rome, combining the inspiration of ancient sculpture with his penchant for anatomical realism. The work depicts a rigidly posed athlete preparing for a fight by binding leather straps in a crisscross pattern around his forearms. This arrangement of straps, known as a caestus, was the ancient Roman equivalent of the modern day boxing glove. Lead or iron weights were often secured over the knuckles to increase the impact of the blows.

Artist

Charles Henry Niehaus

Date

1883–85; cast 1901

Medium

Bronze

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1907