Discos, around 500 BCE. Bronze. Found in Messina, Sicily. Via Kunsthistorisches Museum, ViennaThe im

Discos, around 500 BCE. Bronze. Found in Messina, Sicily. Via Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

The image of the dolphin, symbolizing the trajectory of the discus, was obviously inserted in multicolored material. The edge is partly undercut, partly left rough to ensure better adhesion in the bedding. Undoubtedly, the discus was a consecration gift and not a sports device: In competition, the incrustation would certainly have fallen out upon repeated impact with the ground.