VI.2.22 Pompeii. House of M. Pupius or Casa di Apollo or Casa delle Danzatrici.

Linked to VI.2.15.

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VI.2.22 Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south from north portico.

According to Boyce, standing in the centre of the south wall is a fine aedicula lararium (h.2.55).

Upon a rectangular base, painted red, a heavy projecting ledge adorned with triple bands of stucco ornament supports a platform (1.10 x 0.35, height above the floor 0.75), upon which rest the bases of two tall, fluted columns (h.1.30) with bases and capitals – all coated with white stucco.

The columns in turn support a pediment, the tympanum of which is surrounded by a double cornice of stucco relief.

The back wall within the aedicula is hollowed out to form a shallow semi-circular niche, and painted blue.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14, (p.44, no.142, Pl.5,2)

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.269 no.V41)

VI.2.22 Pompeii. May 2011. Patterned flooring at entrance to peristyle from north portico.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. September 2005. Aedicula niche in south wall of pseudo-peristyle.

On the right is the doorway to the large triclinium.

According to Jashemski, this peristyle garden, excavated in 1811, was enclosed by a portico on the north and part of the east and west sides.

The portico was supported by five columns, red below, fluted and white above.

They were joined by a low wall.

There was an aedicula lararium (2.55m high) in the centre of the south wall. 

This once held a beautiful bronze statue of Apollo (Naples Archaeological Museum inv no: 5613).

Dwyer pointed out that the Apollo was not found in the niche, however, but in the north colonnade of the peristyle, according to a report of Soprastante Pasquale Scognamiglio which Dwyer found in the archives of the Soprintendenza at Naples (VIII c8, Apr 3, 1811).

The Apollo was immediately reburied and discovered two days later in the presence of Queen Maria Carolina.

An earlier report of Scognamiglio (Mar 21, 1811) mentioned a niche identical to the one in this house. 

But this house became confused with the one next door (VI.2.16/21) which became known as the House of the Apollo, and the statue was said to have been found there.  Dwyer points out that the only niche in the garden of VI.2.16/21 is modern, and it is only 0.67m high.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.122-3 and fig 134 for the Bronze Apollo).

VI.2.22 Pompeii, 1968. 

Bronze statuette of Apollo, found on north colonnade of peristyle, but probably originally from the aedicula lararium in the middle of the south wall of the peristyle.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inv. no. 5613.  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.

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VI.2.22 Pompeii, pre-1825. Drawing by Ferdinando Mori of bronze statuette of Apollo.

According to RMB –

this statuette enriched the Museum in 1808, after it was found in an aedicula erected between the walls of a modest house.

See Real Museo Borbonico Vol II, 1825, Tav XXIII.

(According to Jashemski and Dwyer, above, the statuette was not discovered until 1811).

VI.2.22 Pompeii. c.1819 sketch by W. Gell, looking south towards aedicula lararium on south wall of peristyle.

(Note: on the sketch, he called this house “The House of the Surgical Instruments”.

See Gell W & Gandy, J.P: Pompeii published 1819 [Dessins publiés dans l'ouvrage de Sir William Gell et John P. Gandy, Pompeiana: the topography, edifices and ornaments of Pompei, 1817-1819], pl. 17.

See book in Bibliothèque de l'Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art [France], collections Jacques Doucet Gell Dessins 1817-1819

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VI.2.22 Pompeii. c.1819 W. Gell, looking south towards aedicula lararium on south wall of peristyle.

(Note: on the sketch, he called this house “The House of the Surgical Instruments”.

See Gell, W. and Gandy, J., 1852. Pompeiana: Third Edition. London: Bohn, pl. XXV. 

VI.2.22 Pompeii. May 2010. Looking south towards lararium on south wall of peristyle.

According to Giacobello, the wall with the aedicula was painted with a garden painting, not conserved.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.269)

Model as viewed in Naples Archaeological Museum.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. May 2011. Remains of aedicula niche lararium.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. December 2007. Peristyle niche.

The rear of the aedicula was hollowed out to form a semi-circular niche which was painted blue.

VI.2.22/15 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Aedicula niche lararium.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1552.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. W.1392. Aedicula niche lararium.

According to Boyce, in the centre of the south wall of the pseudoperistyle stands a fine aedicula.

On a rectangular base painted red, a heavy projecting ledge adorned with triple bands of stucco supported a platform.

On this platform rested the bases of two tall, fluted columns with bases and capitals, all coated with white stucco.

The columns in turn supported a pediment.

The back wall within the aedicula is hollowed out to form a niche, and painted blue.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.44, and Pl.35,2)

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. December 2007. The base of the aedicula niche was painted red.

The projecting ledge had three bands of stucco ornament, and two tall, fluted columns rested on it.

They supported the pediment. The columns and the pediment are now all vanished.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (142, p44).

VI.2.22 Pompeii. December 2007. Remains of one of the columns on the base.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. Found 4th May 1811. 1979 photo.

Marble mask with Dionysian theme, possibly an oscillum or set in a wall in the garden.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 6611. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi, p. 102.

See Ward Perkins, J. and Claridge A., 1976. Pompeii AD 79. London: Westerham. The Garden, no. 78.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. December 2007. Cistern head and marble puteal near entrance to north portico.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. May 2011. Looking east across peristyle area.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. October 2022. Marble statue described as “Young fisherman asleep”, found in the house but location unknown.

On display in the Palaestra. PAP Inventory number 21628. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

According to Jashemski –

“The two marble statuettes found in the house would probably have been garden decorations: a deer suckling her young (0.21m long) and a sleeping child whose left hand holds the handle of a basket which a mouse tries to enter. Behind the boy’s head an overturned vase (0.19m long) poured water.  The mask found in the house may also have decorated the garden.”

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.122-3)

VI.2.22 Pompeii. May 2010. Looking east from rear entrance in Vicolo di Narciso, into peristyle area with painted garden wall.

In the lower part of the photograph, can be seen the entrance corridor at VI.2.15, left of centre.

On the right of centre is a cubiculum with a doorway onto the west portico, and on the right of it is the large triclinium.

Model as viewed in Naples Archaeological Museum.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. December 2007. Painted wall decoration on west wall of peristyle, above doorway to triclinium.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. May 2011. Remains of threshold in opening from peristyle to the triclinium. Looking west.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east across peristyle from triclinium in south-west corner.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. May 2011. Looking west into triclinium. 

On the right is a doorway into the cubiculum on south side of rear doorway at VI.2.15.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. 1811 painting by F. Morelli of west (or short) wall of triclinium.

The central panel is of Perseus showing Andromeda the head of Medusa reflected in water.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 132.

Photo © ICCD. https://www.catalogo.beniculturali.it

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VI.2.22 Pompeii. 1840. Perseus showing Andromeda the head of Medusa reflected in water, from the triclinium on west side of peristyle.

See Roux, H., 1840. Herculanem et Pompei recueil général des Peintures, Bronzes, Mosaïques : Tome 3. Paris: Didot. (pl. 97)

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (1193).

See Breton, Ernest. 1870. Pompeia, Guide de visite a Pompei, 3rd ed. Paris, Guerin.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. Casa delle Danzatrici or else Casa dell’Iside. Pre-1828.

According to Zahn, the Ibis, in the middle of the page, was seen in the Casa dell’Iside, on upper west wall of triclinium.

This would appear to look like an identical Ibis from the west wall (see above) of the triclinium of Casa delle Danzatrice, so we have included it here.

The two chariots were drawn from the fullonica, behind the House of the Tragic Poet, VI.8.20/21, from an excavation made in summer of 1826.

The two swans are from the House of the Tragic Poet.

The architectural decorations, lower, were drawn in the Naples Museum.

See Zahn, W., 1828. Die schönsten Ornamente und merkwürdigsten Gemälde aus Pompeji, Herkulanum und Stabiae: I. Berlin: Reimer, taf. 61.

VI.2.22 Pompeii.

Undated drawings by Lesueur, the Ibis, in the middle of the page, would appear to be drawn from the west wall of the triclinium of VI.2.22.

The others may be from VI.2.16.

See Lesueur, Jean-Baptiste Ciceron. Voyage en Italie de Jean-Baptiste Ciceron Lesueur (1794-1883), pl. 83.

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VI.2.22 Pompeii. 1811 painting by F. Morelli of south wall of triclinium. The central panel shows Europa on the bull.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 133.

Photo © ICCD. https://www.catalogo.beniculturali.it

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VI.2.22 Pompeii. South wall of triclinium on cork model in Naples Museum.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. East wall of triclinium on cork model in Naples Museum.

VI.2.22 Pompeii. 1828. Paintings by Zahn of fragments of painted stucco cornices from Pompeii.

The upper one is from a room in the so-called Casa delle Danzatrice, it is on a wall which, together with the cornice, i.e. from the upper line of the cornice to the floor, has a height of 9 feet 11 inches (Rheinl. Sizing). The cornice shown below is on a wall whose height including the cornice is 11 feet 8 7/8 inches. Immediately above the cornice begins a coving which formed the transition to the ceiling.

See Zahn, W., 1828. Die schönsten Ornamente und merkwürdigsten Gemälde aus Pompeji, Herkulanum und Stabiae: I. Berlin: Reimer, taf. 91.

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