The statue, a little more than a metre high, shows a boy of about three or four years old holding astragals, small ankle bones used in games of skill or for gambling. The torso, the left upper leg and part of the knee are ancient, while the right leg up to the hip as well as the adjoining tree trunk are modern additions. The right arm was also added later, while the left one is antique. As preliminary analysis showed the marble used to build the torso came from Asia Minor (Turkey), while the modern additions were made from Italian marble.
The statue was first mentioned as part of the collection of the French Cardinal Melchior de Polignac. From 1724 to 1731. After Polignac?s death, Frederick II of Prussia acquired the cardinal?s collection of sculptures and The Boy With Astragals was displayed in the Charlottenburg Palace until 1830, when it was moved to the newly inaugurated Royal Museum in Berlin, the present Altes Museum. In 1922, the museum sold the sculpture on the art market, from where it was bequeathed by Béla Fogarasi to the Museum of Fine Arts.
