VI.16.15 Pompeii. Casa dell’Ara Massima or House of Pinarius or Casa di Narcisso.

Excavated 1903.

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Plan

Via del Vesuvio, Pompeii, looking south. December 2006.                                                          VI.16.15, on the right.

Via del Vesuvio, Pompeii, looking north along west side towards entrance doorways. December 2023. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023. Looking west towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015. Entrance doorway with bench. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. September 2021. Looking west to entrance doorway on Via del Vesuvio. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance doorway.

According to NdS, the fauces or entrance corridor had a travertine threshold.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1908, (p.63-84)

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015. Entrance doorway threshold. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023. Entrance doorway threshold. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023.

Looking west towards flooring of entrance corridor/fauces.

Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. September 2021. Entrance fauces A, looking west to atrium B. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance fauces A, looking west to atrium B.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2000. Entrance fauces A, looking west to atrium B. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015.

Entrance fauces A, looking east along north side towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015.

Entrance fauces A, looking east along south side towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023.

Looking west across atrium flooring towards impluvium.

Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024. Impluvium in atrium. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2012. Looking north across impluvium in atrium B. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2012. Terracotta puteal in centre of impluvium in atrium B. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2012. Reconstructed compluvium in atrium B. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023.

Making good use of the compluvium above the impluvium.

Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2006. Looking north across impluvium in atrium B.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking south-west across impluvium in atrium B.

The doorways of rooms G and C are in the corner, with room F to the left and room D to the right.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024. Atrium B, west side with doorways to rooms C, D, and E. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2006. Doorways to rooms C, D, and E on west side of atrium B. 

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023. Upper west side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024. Detail from upper west side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023.

West side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015.

Doorway to room C, on west side of atrium B, and painted pilaster. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. September 2021.

Painted pilaster on west side of atrium B with doorway to room C, on left. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. 2015/2016.

Painted pilaster on west side of atrium B with doorway to room C, on left.

Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024.

Detail of painted pilaster on west side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024. Detail from painted pilaster on west side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023.

Detail from west side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024.

Base of painted pilaster with mask or face on west side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. September 2021.

Base of painted pilaster with mask or face on west side of atrium B with doorway to room C, on left. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024.

Room D, small tablinum on west side of atrium. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024. Room D, looking towards west wall. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023.

Looking towards painted decoration on west side of atrium B.

Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024. Wall painting of Narcissus on west wall of tablinum D. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023. Detail of painted decoration on west side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2000. West side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2000. West side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. 1961.

Looking towards west wall of atrium B. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J61f0428

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015. Doorway to room E, on west side of atrium B. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. 1961.

Wilhelmina and student in the doorway to room E, in the atrium B. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J61f0425

VI.16.15 Pompeii. September 2021.

Atrium B, wall painting of face or mask between doorway to room E and room D at base of pilaster. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2006.

Atrium B, between doorway to room E and room D at base of wall. Detail of wall painting of face or mask.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2006. North-west corner of atrium B, with doorway to room E, on left.

Doorways to rooms I and K are separated by the painted lararium on the north wall.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024.

Lararium on north wall and north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023. North-east corner of atrium B, with entrance corridor/fauces, on right. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2006. North wall of atrium with lararium between doorways to room I (left) and rooms K to M (right).

According to Boyce, the space between the two doorways on the north side of the atrium was painted with white stucco, bordered with red stripes.

This formed the large panel for the lararium painting.

A square niche was in the upper right-hand corner, on the rear wall of which was painted the figure of the Genius.

Hanging down on each side of him was a garland, on the side walls were painted red flowers with green leaves.

Of the two Lares originally painted on the white background of the wall, one on each side of the niche, only the lower part of the one on the left remained.

Below the figure of the Lar was painted a tall cylindrical altar, furnished with two eggs, a pine cone and fruit.

On each side was a huge yellow serpent, each coiled serpent about two metres in length.

The one on the left had a red crest and beard. The one on the right had neither.

In the background were rather large plants bearing fruit.

Over the surface of this picture had been spread a thin wash.

It would appear that the lararium belonged to an earlier decoration of the house and was to be replaced by a new one to be painted on the thin wash.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1908, p. 67.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.58, no.224, Pl.16,1)

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (L75, picture. 39,2)

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.185).

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024.

Lararium on north wall of atrium. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. pre-1937.

North wall of atrium with lararium between doorways to room I (left) and rooms K to M (right).

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.58, no.224, Pl.16,1)

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2023.

Lararium on north wall of atrium. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. 2015/2016.

Lararium on north wall of atrium, with two serpents flanking a round altar.

Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2006. Lararium in atrium with two serpents flanking a round altar.

VI.16.15 Pompeii, 1968. Lararium in atrium. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J68f0262

VI.16.15 Pompeii, January 2024. Detail from Lararium in atrium, heads of two serpents at an altar. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii, May 2012. Lararium in atrium, detail of heads of two serpents at altar. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii, 1968. Lararium in atrium, detail of heads of two serpents at altar. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J68f0261

VI.16.15 Pompeii, 1968.

Coil of painted serpent on lararium in atrium, with painted plants. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J68f0264

VI.16.15 Pompeii. 1961. Lararium on north wall of atrium B. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J61f0427

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024. Niche of lararium on north wall of atrium, with remains of painting. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. January 2024.

Detail of painting from lararium niche. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015. Niche of lararium on north wall of atrium, with remains of painting. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2006. Niche of lararium on north wall of atrium, with remains of painting.

According to Boyce, on the rear wall was painted the figure of the Genius.

Hanging down on each side of him was a garland, on the side walls were painted red flowers with green leaves.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015.

Detail of remains of lararium painting from niche on north wall of atrium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015. Looking towards north-west corner of lararium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015.

Looking towards west side of lararium, painted with red flowers and green leaves. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2006. Room I on north side of atrium. 

According to NdS, this room had a lava threshold, floor of cocciopesto, and walls faced with rough white plaster.

The lower dado was partly masonry and partly painted red.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1908, (p.83).

VI.16.15 Pompeii. May 2015. Room I on north side of atrium. Red plaster on lower east wall. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.15 Pompeii. December 2006. Room I on north side of atrium. Red plaster on lower east wall.

Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Plan