VI.2.16 Pompeii. Casa del Narciso.

Rear entrance at VI.2.21. Excavated 1811, 1818.

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VI.2.16 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east across atrium towards north wall of atrium and tablinum. 

The doorway led into a corridor which served as a passageway to the garden area.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.51).

VI.2.16, Pompeii. Pre 1924. Painting by Pierre Gusman, showing detail of the north wall of the tablinum.

This was a reproduction of an engraving by Mazois.

(Described as -

XVII. Panneau extrait de la série exécutée par l'architecte français Mazois, au début du xix- siècle. Spécimen unique d'un panneau bleu foncé. Début du quatrième style.)

See Gusman P., 1924. La Décoration Murale de Pompei. Paris : Morancé, pl. XVII.

VI.2.16, Pompeii. Engraving by Mazois showing detail of north wall of tablinum.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei : Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot, pl XXVII.

VI.2.16, Pompeii. Between 1819 and 1832 described as a “Side of a room”, with detail of north wall of tablinum.

See Gell, W. Pompeii unpublished [Dessins de l'édition de 1832 donnant le résultat des fouilles post 1819 (?)] vol II, pl. 84.

Bibliothèque de l'Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art, collections Jacques Doucet, Identifiant numérique Num MS180 (2).

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VI.2.16, Pompeii, candelabra on left together with fragments of stucco, detail from tablinum. Painting by Vilhelm Dahlerup (1836-1907).

Photo © Danmarks Kunstbibliotek, inv. no. ark_19789h.

VI.2.16 and 22, Pompeii.

The frieze drawn on the upper right would appear to be the one drawn/painted in the above paintings of the north wall of the tablinum in VI.2.16.

The drawing by Mazois would appear to be closest to this drawing - that is showing a face, a bird, a cup, a bird, a face, repeated, etc.

On the painting above, by Vilhelm Dahlerup, the part in question would appear to be shown above the second candelabra, on the left.

We have not yet seen a possible location for the two figures, the one on the left states “Pilaster in corner of exedra, Relief in stucco.”  

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

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

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VI.2.16 Pompeii. May 2011. Looking east through tablinum towards rooms on the north side of the garden area.

According to PPM –

“Not much of the flooring in the tablinum remained, this would have been of cocciopesto punctuated with white tesserae.

According to Mazois, at the centre would have been an emblema with four-petalled rosette set in a square with border of triangles.”

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici. IV. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p. 209).

VI.2.16 Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south-east across garden area from end of corridor.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. September 2005. Wall plaster on peristyle wall at end of corridor, looking north.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. May 2011.

Looking north from peristyle. The doorway from the east end of the corridor is on the left, the doorway into an oecus is in the centre.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east along portico towards the corridor leading to VI.2.21.

According to Fiorelli, the three rooms on the north side of the peristyle were described as an exedra with an oecus on either side of it.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.51)

VI.2.16 Pompeii. September 2005. North wall of room on north side of peristyle.

According to PPM –

“The north wall was preserved up until the curve of the vaulted ceiling, which was marked by a cornice of stucco, now lost.

The wall was painted in the IV Style in a scheme with a symmetrical structure, with (yellow?) zoccolo subdivided into panels and compartments, and a yellow middle zone, with panels separated by architecture.

Probably in this room the vignettes of Cupids, as drawn by Zahn, were to be found, (Helbig 649 and 699b).

The upper zone of the wall was white.”

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici. IV.  Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 202.

See Zahn, W., 1828. Die schönsten Ornamente und merkwürdigsten Gemälde aus Pompeji, Herkulanum und Stabiae: I. Berlin: Reimer, taf. 74.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, (nos. 649 and 699b).

VI.2.16 Pompeii. 1828. Exedra/oecus on north side of peristyle. Vignettes of Cupids, as drawn by Zahn.

See Zahn, W., 1828. Die schönsten Ornamente und merkwürdigsten Gemälde aus Pompeji, Herkulanum und Stabiae: I. Berlin: Reimer, taf. 74 Amb. 5.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. Undated painting of a wall, by Chenavard. This may be the north wall of the exedra/oecus on north side of peristyle.

See Chenavard, Antoine-Marie (1787-1883) et al. Voyage d'Italie, croquis Tome 3, pl. 117.

INHA Identifiant numérique : NUM MS 703 (3). See Book on INHA

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VI.2.16 Pompeii. pre-1819.

Sketch by Gell, described by him as “Side of a room”, and may be the north wall of the exedra/oecus on north side of peristyle.

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. 53 verso.

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VI.2.16 Pompeii. pre-1819. Engraving of wall decoration from a room, the central painting showing Cupids and not a Man and Woman.

See Gell, W, and Gandy J. P., 1819. Pompeiana. London: Rodwell and Martin, plate 39.

Also, Gell, W. and Gandy, J., 1852. Pompeiana: Third Edition. London: Bohn, plate 40.

Also, Gell W and Gandy J, 1872. Pompeiana. London: Chatto and Windus, plate 40.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. Part of wall of room, by Mazois, and may be the north wall of the exedra/oecus on north side of peristyle.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei : Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot, pl. XXVI.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. May 2011.

Looking west through tablinum towards south-west corner of atrium, with stairs, cubiculum and entrance corridor visible.

VI.2.16 or VI.2.17 Pompeii. 1824 engraving of mosaic emblema by Mazois.

According to Mazois –

this engraving represents a mosaic found in the triclinium of a house shown in Pl. XXI and XXII. (p.61).

Plates XXI and XXII are showing the Houses at VIII.2.1/3, known as the Houses of Championnet.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei : Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot, p.61, pl. XX fig II.

According to Mazois on page 69, Pl.XXIV, which is the plan of houses at VI.2.16 and VI.2.22, he states that the mosaic found in the triclinium (room 24) was the mosaic found in this area which has already been given (seen) in Pl. XX.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei : Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot, p.69, pl.XXIV.

According to PPM –

VI.2.16 Tablinum. A small amount remains of the flooring in cocciopesto punctuated by white tesserae.

At the centre of this room, according to Mazois, there was an emblema with a four-petalled rosette associated with four lotus buds.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici. IV. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 209.

VI.2.14, VI.2.16 or VI.2.17 Pompeii. 1834 painting by Ernst Zocher “Fußboden aus der sogenannten Casa dell’ Iside zu Pompeji".

This is the same mosaic as shown by Mazois and referred to by PPM as from VI.2.16.

The name Casa dell'Iside could however place it in VI.2.14, 16 or 17.

Photo courtesy Foto Marburg © Architekturmuseum der TU München, Inventar-Nr. zoc-48-2, 913993, alte Inventar-Nr. 2.3.2. CC-BY-NC-ND

VI.2.16 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east from tablinum across pseudoperistyle, with niche in south wall.

According to Jashemski, the peristyle garden at the rear of the tablinum was excavated in 1811.

It was enclosed on the north and west sides by a portico, supported by a column in the middle of each side.

In the north-west corner (on the left) it was supported by a pillar.

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

VI.2.16 Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south across peristyle.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. September 2005. Niche in south wall of peristyle.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.268)

VI.2.16 Pompeii. May 2011. Detail of niche in south wall of peristyle.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking towards triclinium on east side of peristyle garden.

The raised threshold of the triclinium was covered with marble.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east across triclinium behind pseudoperistyle.

VI.2.16 Pompeii. September 2005. Black and white mosaic floor in south-west corner of triclinium.

The floor was edged with two bands of black tiles followed by a wide border of white tiles, and then another band of black tiles.

VI.2.16/21 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east from north portico towards rear entrance at VI.2.21.

VI.2.16/21, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking west along corridor, leading from rear entrance (and kitchen area) at VI.2.21.

The doorway to the kitchen area is on the right.

VI.2.16/21 Pompeii. May 2011. East wall of kitchen area, with window overlooking Vicolo di Modesto.

VI.2.16/21 Pompeii. September 2005.

Kitchen hearth on east side of kitchen. At the rear of the photograph, on the left, was possibly a latrine.

See Hobson, B., 2009. Latrinae et foricae: Toilets in the Roman World. London; Duckworth. (p.68)

VI.2.16/21 Pompeii. May 2011. North-east corner of kitchen, perhaps with a latrine.

According to Hobson, an area in the kitchen with a low wall, on which a screen might have been stood and again with a window, suggested the position of a latrine. He also considered the narrow room with a step up over a threshold stone, on the south side of the atrium, was possibly a latrine.

Either or both could have been a latrine.

See Hobson, B., 2009. Latrinae et foricae: Toilets in the Roman World. London; Duckworth. (p.68)

VI.2.16/21 Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south-west across kitchen area, towards a corridor leading to the garden area.
The area on the right would probably have been a storeroom, according to Fiorelli.

VI.2.16/21 Pompeii. September 2005. Storeroom on west side of kitchen. Looking north.

Part 1