Inscriptions: Graffito: HO PAIS KALOS Graffito: MYRRINES EIMI Inscription: MYRRINES EIMI NAICHI
Decoration: Body: ATHLETES, ACONTISTS, DISKOBOLOI, AND EROTIC, DRAPED MAN AND YOUTH WITH DOG, DEER, STAMPED FLORAL, PALMETTE
Last Recorded Collection: Boston (MA), Museum of Fine Arts: 63.119
Publication Record: Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies: 8 (1967), PLS.1.1-4, 2.5-6 Herrmann, J. and Kondoleon, C., (eds.), Games for the Gods, The Greek Athlete and the Olympic Spirit (Boston, 2004): 34, 82, NO.46 (COLOUR OF PARTS) Kéi, N., L'esthétique des fleurs, kosmos, poikilia et kharis dans la céramique attique du VIe et du Ve siècle av. n. ère, ICON 22 (Berlin and Boston, 2022): 271, FIG.213 (PART) Lear, A. and Cantarella, E., Images of ancient Greek pederasty, Boys were their gods (London and New York, 2008): 79, FIG.2.9 (PART) Panciera, S. (ed.), Tituli 2, Miscellanea (Rome, 1980): 11 (DRAWINGS), PL.2. 1-3
CAVI Lemma: BF terracotta ball. Unattributed. Ca. 500.
CAVI Subject: Around the middle: in the center, a boy greeted by a bearded man. On either
side, athletes.
CAVI Inscriptions: In the scene, in BG: Μυρρινες ειμι, | ναιχι. On the top cap, Gr.: hο παις
καλος :*. Below, in a different hand, Gr: :* hος εοικεν απο τον εριον εναι{αι},
the last two letters in the line above. On the bottom cap, Gr.: Μυρρινες ειμι.
CAVI Comments: The object is a rattle in the shape of a ball made of a middle strip and two
caps sown over the central part. For the interpretation of the third inscription
(ερια, funerary mounds, a reference to funerary athletic contests) see GRBS;
differently Guarducci. Some have doubted the graffiti. The ball was a gift to
Myrrhine. The first and third graffiti are by a different hand (the potter's or
painter's) than the second (a user's?). The ball was clearly a bespoken gift.
Guarducci in `Tituli' discusses previous bibl. and suggests that ηριον keep its
meaning `tomb' and be applied to the feeble-looking boy with the dog; the
object, she says, is a rattle and does not imitate a ball.
