A mature boxer sits wearily resting his arms on his thighs. His gaze is turned away from the observer, showing a swollen ear and several bleeding wounds. The intense pathos of the sculpture is accentuated by the realism of the details. The hair, beard, the fur on the gloves, all have been rendered with great virtuosity using a burin, while several red copper inlays render the wounds and drops of blood trickling over a strong body which has been weakened by the fight. Inspired by an original work by the celebrated Lysippus (Fourth Century BCE), this statue is thought to be a remarkable Greek original dating from the first half of the First Century BCE. Its uniqueness was clearly appreciated also by the ancients, who attempted to ensure its preservation. When it was discovered on the western slopes of the Quirinal Hill in 1885, the statue had been hidden with great care, placed on a stone capital and laid to rest in a pit filled with sifted earth so as to reduce damage to the bronze surface to a minimum.