I.7.4 Pompeii. Taberna or Officina vasaria of Corinthus.

Excavated 1868, 1911 and 1927.

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2018. Entrance on south side of Via dell’Abbondanza. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

I.7.4 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance on Via dell’Abbondanza.

According to Maiuri, the workshop comprised of a large room on the ground floor, and a smaller room in the north-west corner.

This smaller room had a small window in its north wall, onto the roadway, as well as a larger window in its east wall overlooking the vestibule of the workshop.

Against the west perimeter wall was a masonry kitchen area, where a cooking tripod was found.

Found between the kitchen and the rear wall was the recognisable threshold step and traces in the plaster work of a long and steep wooden stairway that would have led up to the upper floor of the room, and from this led both to the balcony overlooking the Via, and to the other rooms on the upper floor which covered all the space on the ground floor, where there is no trace of an impluvium or possibility of water drainage.

Therefore, the roof would have been totally closed and probably only one layer facing the roadway. 

The walls of the ground floor were simply plastered with a clear yellow background painted with simple red lines forming squares.

See Maiuri, A., 1928. Nuovi Scavi nella Via dell’Abbondanza. Milano: Hoepli. (p.15-16).

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance, looking south.

According to Wallace-Hadrill, this was a taberna/officina vasaria of Corinthus, servus of P. Cornelius?.

This comprised of two rooms and stairs up to an upper floor, but no decoration was found.

Finds of pottery have suggested “officina vasaria” (a potter’s shop).

See Wallace-Hadrill, A., 1994. Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. New Jersey: Princeton U.P. (p.189).

According to Spinazzola,

A "Corinthus" appears here, with pottery skills in terracotta, which may perhaps be attributed to a single "Figulus" (Latin: potter/worker of earthenware) of exception: a large thick table/board with raised border (m. 1.18 side to side), was found mutilated in a house not yet explored on the side of Via di Abbondanza (II.2.4 or I.12.4), and a large vase with ornate decoration in relief, which more precisely identified him as a true artist, (from i.7.2/3).

In the great table he signed his skilful piece of pottery, accompanying his name with the pottery workshop "de fi(glinis) C(ai) Cluenti Ampliati – Corinthus fecit", of which he evidently was the master operator, and, in the vase, with the entire description, which more precisely identified him:

"P. Corneli Corint(h)i servos"

See Spinazzola, V. Pompei, alla luce degli Scavi Nuovi di Via dell’Abbondanza (Anni 1910-1923), Vol.2, (p.687, fig.651).

See Maiuri, A., 1928. Nuovi Scavi nella Via dell’Abbondanza. Milano: Hoepli. (p.15-16).

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1912, p. 65-7.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1927, (p. 12).

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007. East wall, with downpipe in north-east corner.

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking south towards south wall.

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007. South wall.

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007. Base of stairs in south-west corner.

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007. Doorway to small room in north-west corner.

According to Eschebach, this small room had a hearth and tripod, together with a small window onto the street.

There was also a larger window onto the entrance area.

See Eschebach, L., 1993. Gebäudeverzeichnis und Stadtplan der antiken Stadt Pompeji. Köln: Böhlau. (p.38)

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007.

Small room in north-west corner, north wall and window onto Via dell’ Abbondanza.

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007. Remains of plaster in small room in north-west corner.

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007.Remains of plaster in small room in north-west corner. 

I.7.4 Pompeii. December 2007. Window in west wall of vestibule of entrance area into small room.