V.4.9 Pompeii. House. Excavated 1887-90 and 1899.
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V.4.9 Pompeii. May 2017. Looking north along small vicolo, with doorway, on the left. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance doorway.
V.4.9 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance doorway.
V.4.9 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking west along south side of atrium.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. Kitchen on east side of atrium. Looking east.
According to Boyce, on the south-east corner of the impluvium was a square column (see remains on right of photo).
This column closed off part of the east side of the impluvium to provide a small area as a kitchen.
In the west side of this column, facing the impluvium was a niche with slightly arched ceiling and projecting floor.
Above and to the right of the niche was a yellow laurel wreath with pendent taeniae hung from a nail – all in stucco relief (see photo below).
Within the niche were found – an iron knife with bronze handle, an iron hammer, and a bronze rosette.
On the same side of the column, but higher, was another larger rectangular niche, probably for storage purposes.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.41, no.124, Pl.4,5)
Hardly anything remains of the column today, and neither niche.
In the north-east corner of the kitchen stood a small hearth and above it in the east wall was a high arched niche (see above photo, on the left).
Its walls were coated with white stucco.
On its floor stood a masonry block, apparently for use as an altar, behind it a step was built against the rear wall.
In the centre of the step was a mark left by an oval object, which had stood there, probably a statuette.
Another altar, terracotta and cylindrical, was found within the niche.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.41, no.125, Pl.4,5).
V.4.9 Pompeii. 1937 or earlier. Looking east to kitchen area on east side of atrium.
Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1584.
This photo was used by Boyce in his 1937 publication.
V.4.9 Pompeii. Old photo by Pierre Gusman. Kitchen on east side of atrium.
The niches in the square column as described by Boyce, above, can be seen on the right of the photo.
Photo courtesy of Sandra Zanella and © Institut national d’histoire de l’art, Paris. See INHA.
Use of this photograph is subject to a CC4 (France) licence. See Creative Commons 4 (France)
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. Niche on east wall of kitchen in atrium area.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking north-west across atrium.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. West side of atrium.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. North-east side of atrium with site of small kitchen and doorway into triclinium, on right.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway of kitchen area into triclinium.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. East wall of triclinium.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. North wall of triclinium.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. West wall of triclinium with window across kitchen and atrium.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking north-west across atrium area.
V.4.9 Pompeii. May 2017.
Pillar on north-west corner of impluvium in atrium, with remains of cistern. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. Pillar on north-west corner of impluvium in atrium, with remains of cistern. Looking north-west.
V.4.9 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking north-west across atrium.
Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1585.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking north-east towards room on north side of atrium, with remains of west wall of room behind pillar.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. Room on north side of atrium, looking to east wall with window into triclinium.
V.4.9 Pompeii. March 2009. North side of atrium.
V.4.9 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking towards north side of atrium.
Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 574.
V.4.9 Pompeii. 1937 or earlier. Niche with
disproportionately large pediment on north side of atrium.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.41, no.123, Pl.7,1).
V.4.9 Pompeii. 1899. Niche on north side of atrium. Bronze bust of Minerva found in lararium niche.
Found in the niche were:
A bust of Minerva with crested helmet and
aegis, resting on a base welded on a rectangular bronze plate, with a square
ring seal.
A small alabaster figurine of Venus with an
unrecognisable herm on one side and an unclear object on the other. This group
stood on a marble covered base behind the bust of Minerva.
Boyce lists a small standing male figure of ivory nude and unbearded. He comments that Sogliano reported it as Venus. Mau thought it was certainly male.
See Notizie degli Scavi di
Antichità, 1899, p. 104.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus
of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.41, no.123).