Nimatallah/Art Resource, New York, NY

“Get yer dukes up!” or its Theran equivalent, may have been what these two lads said to each other before beginning their bout. The blue on their heads probably indicates areas where the hear was shaved, a practice followed by Egyptians. Figures with shaved heads, may have been children about to undergo puberty rites prior to achieving adult status. Puberty rites were a common feature of ancient Aegean and Near Eastern cultures.