Description
In art, ballplayers are shown wearing palmas atop hip protectors like one displayed nearby. The palma covers the chest, as if to insulate it from bruising encounters with the rubber ball. The stone sculptures are too heavy for wear but may mimic the shape of lighter-weight gear used during play. This elegant, fan-shaped palma is adorned with scrolls that form grotesque heads in profile. Traces of blue indicate that like many ancient sculptures it was brightly painted.
Provenance
(Stendahl Art Galleries, Los Angeles, CA, 1965, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruener) (?-1965); James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (1965-1990); The Cleveland Museum of Art (1990)
Accession Number
1990.249
Medium
stone, pigment traces
Dimensions
Overall: 42.7 x 8.3 x 19.6 cm (16 13/16 x 3 1/4 x 7 11/16 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener