VI.16.7 Pompeii. Casa degli Amorini Dorati or House of the Golden Cupids

or Domus Cn. Poppaei Habiti or House of Gnaeus Poppaeus Habitus.

Excavated 1903-5.

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VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2006. Room F, painted north wall above doorway to room J on north portico.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. September 2015. Doorway to room J, looking north.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Doorway to room J, stairs to upper floor. Looking north.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Room J, looking towards north-west corner.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Room J, looking north.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Room J, north-east corner.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Room J, north-east corner, hole at floor level.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Room J, looking east through hole in north-east corner.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Room J, east wall.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Room J, steps to upper floor, looking south to portico.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2016.

 Room F, looking from north portico towards south-east corner of garden area. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2016.

Room F, looking from north portico towards south-west corner of garden area. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Peristyle garden F, looking south from north portico.

VI.16.7 Pompeii, 1933. Peristyle garden F, looking across garden towards south-east corner. Photo courtesy of Peter Woods.

VI.16.7 Pompeii but shown as VI.16.1 on photo. Pre-1937-39.

Looking towards sundial in peristyle garden near north portico.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 498.

According to Powers (ed) –

“This sundial was found in 1904 and was made from marble and bronze.

The bronze gnomon cast a shadow on the instrument’s concave upper surface, which is marked with radiating lines to indicate the hours of the day. Vine tendrils in relief decorate its sides, and the lost front corners probably took the form of a pair of feline paws.”

See Powers, J. (ed). 2023. Roman Landscapes, Visions of Nature and Myth from Roman Pompeii. USA,San Antonio Museum of Art, (p.129, no.27).

VI.16.7 Pompeii. December 2004. Room F, north portico, lararium.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2016. Room F, north portico, lararium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2006. Room F, north portico. Lararium with aedicula over altar to household gods.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14, pp. 57-8, no. 221 and pl.38, 2

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico.  Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.277).

VI.16.7 Pompeii. January 2023.

Room F, north portico, looking north towards lararium and detail from wall above.

Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. September 2015. Room F, north portico, looking north towards lararium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. September 2015. Room F, north wall of portico above lararium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. January 2023. Room F, north portico. Lararium with detail of aedicula and stucco work. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. December 2018.

Room F, north portico. Lararium with aedicula over altar to household gods. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2016.

Room F, north portico. Lararium with aedicula over altar to household gods. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. December 2004. Room F, north portico. Household lararium.

Two fluted marble columns, with architrave and pediment.

The rectangular niche has its floor divided into three levels by two high steps (shelves).

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2006.

Room F, north portico. Lararium podium painted to represent red and yellow marble with a darker circle in front.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2016. Room F, looking west along the north portico. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7, Pompeii, May 2018.

Room F, north portico. Household lararium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. September 2015. Room F, north portico. Household lararium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. October 2023. Room F, north portico. Household lararium.

Head outlined in black in painted marble on east side of base.

Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. October 2023. Room F, north portico. Household lararium.

Detail of head outlined in black in painted marble on east side of base.

Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2006. Room F, north portico. Household lararium.

According to Boyce, the shrine was found with its contents intact, and contained the following bronze statuettes:

1. Jupiter – bearded, the upper part of his body nude, the lower part wrapped in a robe. In his right hand the thunderbolt, in the left he probably originally held a sceptre, now missing.

2. Juno – wearing a peplum fastened on her right shoulder and over it a mantle, on her head a high crown.

3. Minerva – wearing a peplum and mantle and on her breast the gorgon, on her head a helmet.

Also found were a statue of Mercury, and the Two Lares.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14, pp. 57-8, no. 221, and pl.38, 2.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. December 2018.

Room F, north portico. Detail of stucco on west side of Lararium. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2016. Room F, detail of stucco on lararium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2016. Room F, detail of stucco on lararium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. Statues found in the lararium. 

Seated on the top step are Mercury, Juno, Jupiter and Minerva. 

The two Lares were placed, on either side of the group, but on the lower step.

Also found was a bronze vase in the shape of an oinochoe with a large belly, flat bottom, protruding lip and a handle set laterally to this.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory numbers 133323, 133324, 133325, 133327, 133328 (and 133326?).

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14, pp. 57-8, no. 221, and pl.38, 2.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1907, pp. 564-571, fig. 14.

Three small bronze statues seated on thrones, found on the top step of the lararium of VI.16.7. 

Juno (left), Jupiter in the centre and Minerva (right). 

On the same step, to the left of Juno, stood the statue of Mercury.

The two Lares were placed, on either side of the group, but on the lower step.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Jupiter is inventory number 133323, Juno is 133324 and Minerva is 133325.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14, pp. 57-8, no. 221, and pl.38, 2

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1907, p. 565, fig.15.

Bronze statuette of seated Mercury found in Lararium of VI.16.7.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1907, p. 566, fig. 16.

Bronze statuette of a Lar found in Lararium of VI.16.7.

This was one of two Lares that were found on the lower step of the lararium.

The Lar holds a rhyton which has at its lower end the front half of a panther.

The bucket would normally be in the Lar’s left hand.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 133328.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1907, p. 567, fig. 17.

Bronze statuette of a Lar found in Lararium of VI.16.7.

This was one of two Lares that were found on the lower step of the lararium.

The Lar holds a rhyton which has at its lower end the front half of a panther.

The bucket would normally be in the Lar’s right hand.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 133327.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1907, p. 567, fig. 17.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. June 2013. Peristyle garden F, and puteal on north portico, after restoration. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Puteal on north portico, before garden restoration.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2016.

Garden area, looking south-west from north portico, after most recent renovation. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. June 2013. Garden area, looking south-west. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. June 2013. Garden area and pool, looking south from north portico. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. June 2013. Corner of garden area, after previous restoration. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. June 2013. Item in corner of garden area, after restoration. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. May 2010. Looking south across garden area, from north portico.

VI.16.7 Pompeii. Sundial found in peristyle garden. It still has the original bronze stylus.

Now in Pompeii deposits. Inventory number SAP 20588.

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