II.9.2 Pompeii. House of the Gemmarius. Gem cutter’s workshop.
Excavated 1954, 1987. Restored 1988.
(Originally when excavated, this was numbered as Reg. II, Insula 12).
Part 1 Plan
II.9.2, on left, and II.9.1, Pompeii, December 2018. Entrance doorways
on east side of Via di Nocera. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
II.9.2 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance doorway.
II.9.2 Pompeii. May 2010. Entrance doorway and entrance corridor 1.
II.9.2 Pompeii. May 2010. Drainage in pavement of Via di Nocera, outside entrance doorway.
II.9.2 Pompeii. May 2017. Looking east from entrance corridor 1. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007.
Small room 2, a narrow wooden staircase, on south side of entrance corridor 1.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 3, a cubiculum on north side of entrance corridor 1.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Cubiculum 3 on north side of entrance. Painted wall plaster on east wall.
II.9.2 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking east from entrance corridor 1 into room 4.
In room 4, close to the north wall, two bronze boxes were found containing objects of particular value: gems and work tools, which make the house attributable to a gemmarius or gem cutter.
The stones were yellow jasper, chalcedony-agate, chalcedony-Sardinian, chalcedony-carnelian, chalcedony-carnelian, chalcedony-carnelian, chalcedony-carnelian, chalcedony blue, prasio, quartz stone, rock crystal, and there were three chisels.
See Attività
della Soprintendenza: Regio II, Insula 9: Rivista di Studi Pompeiani II,
1988, p. 200, p. 202 note 12.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. South wall of room 4.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 4, pilaster at east end of south wall of entrance corridor.
The wooden staircase in room 2 led to the upper floor which covered around two-thirds of the house.
The upper floor found a point of support on a pillar in mixed construction located in room 4.
See Attività
della Soprintendenza: Regio II, Insula 9: Rivista di Studi Pompeiani II,
1988, p. 200.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 4. West end of south wall.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking east from room 4 towards corridor room 5.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Rear room 6 with window to garden 8 and door to corridor room 5.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Corridor room 5 to garden area 8.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Garden area 8 with remains of
pot.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Doorway to latrine 7 in garden 8.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Latrine 7.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking east across garden 8 to enclosed triclinium.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking east across garden 8 to triclinium.
At the moment of excavation 43 amphorae of varied shapes were found on, against and between the triclinium couches.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Triclinium in north-east corner of garden 8.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Painted plaster with erotic scenes on triclinium.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Painted plant on north wall above triclinium.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Triclinium with stone table.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Painted figure with shield on side of triclinium.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Painted plaster with pygmy and boat scenes on triclinium.
According to Versluys –
a boat with its prow shaped like an animal head is still visible, as well as other boats with pygmies, and a pygmy with a large shield who is defending himself against an ibis.
At the time of excavation, also erotic scenes showing pygmies amid the rushes could be distinguished.
There are paintings with the same subject in the adjacent house (II.9.4) and seem to have been painted by the same hand.
See Versluys M. J., 2002. Aegyptiaca Romana: Nilotic Scenes and the Roman Views of Egypt. Leiden: Brill, p. 111-2, no. 039.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. South-east corner of garden 8.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2018. Cast of tree root in garden 8. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Cast of tree root in garden 8.
The garden was shaded by a large pine tree under which eight small hazels and various horticultural plants were placed close to the perimeter walls.
II.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. South wall of garden 8.
II.9.2 Pompeii. Bronze tegame or pan. SAP 12738.
Photographed at “A Day in Pompeii” exhibition at Melbourne Museum. September 2009.
Two bronze statuettes of Apollo and Fortuna with cornucopia and a clay herm of a child Dionysus with panther were also found still in situ in the household lararium.
See Attività
della Soprintendenza: Regio II, Insula 9: Rivista di Studi Pompeiani II,
1988, p. 200.