IX.7.19 Pompeii. Casa dello Specchio or House of the Mirror.
Excavated 1880.
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IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Looking north-east through entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking east towards entrance doorway on Vicolo di Tesmo.
According to Mau, the threshold or doorsteps of both doorways, IX.7.19 and IX.7.18 were missing when excavated.
See Mau, Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza
Archeologica (DAIR), 1883, (p.78).
IX.7.19 Pompeii. 1885. Painting of entrance doorway shortly after excavation.
Study by Louis Hector Leroux for his painting “La pierre mystérieuse de Pompéi” (The Mysterious Stone of Pompeii).
The painting has the inscription Rég (io) IX - Ins (ula) II - Via Quarta. This was in fact Regio IX .7.19.
Now in the Musée de la Princerie, Verdun. Photo courtesy of Daniel Genot.
The mysterious stone was a piece of dark-blue, or black glass or obsidian, more than likely used as a mirror.
The house was thus named the House of the Mirror.
According to NdS, found on December 13th, 1880 in the house of the 3rd door on the west side counting from the north-west of the insula, was a piece of glass. This was found on the right-hand side on entering the small atrium, discovered boxed in the wall, for use as a mirror.
It was fixed to the wall with nails around its edge.
See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1880, p.493. (on p.491, it is described as “a piece of glass on a black background”).
IX.7.19 Pompeii. 1885 painting of entrance doorway shortly after excavation.
Painting by Louis
Hector Leroux, La Pierre mystérieuse de
Pompéi, huile sur toile.
Courtesy of Collection
musée des Beaux-Arts, Dunkerque, © Emmanuel Watteau.
Inventory number DBA. P. 492.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Looking east across atrium from entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. May 2005.
Looking east from entrance doorway into room b, the atrium with doorway to room g, triclinium, ahead.
According to Mau, this narrow atrium had an impluvium but was without a fauces, or entrance corridor.
See Mau, Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza
Archeologica (DAIR), 1883, (p.78)
IX.7.19 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking east across atrium towards doorway to triclinium.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. May 2005. Room b, site of impluvium in atrium.
According to Mau, the flooring of the atrium was all of opus signinum (cocciopesto) or similar.
The impluvium was also faced with the same stone.
The floor in the base of the impluvium was outlined with white stones in a pattern of lines.
The middle of the impluvium was decorated with a rosette of six petals in a circle and square.
See Mau, Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza
Archeologica (DAIR), 1883, (p.78)
See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.502)
IX.7.19 Pompeii. July 2017.
Looking west across site of impluvium in atrium towards entrance doorway on Vicolo di Tesmo
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Looking east across atrium through entrance doorway, with cubiculum a, on north side of atrium, on left.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking east across room b, the atrium, with doorway to room a, cubiculum, on left.
Also visible behind the room a on the left, was an ala, room c.
This ala may have been used as the tablinum.
According to Mau, when excavated the following paintings were found on the walls of this room.
Room b, the atrium:
On the left wall between the doorway of room a, and room c, the ala – a peacock, in front of two pomegranate trees and a branch. (size: height 0.10m x length 0.33m)
On the right wall in front of the door to room e, buried into the plaster and fixed with four iron nails, was a slab of dark-blue glass not regular in shape, that one could have believed had served as a mirror. (size: height 0.22m x length 0.135m)
(According to NdS, 1880, p.491, “buried into the plaster was a slab of glass with a black background”).
See Mau, in Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza
Archeologica (DAIR), 1883, (p.79).
See Sogliano, in Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1880, (p.491).
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Room a, looking north through doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. May 2005. South-east corner of room a, cubiculum.
According to Mau, room a, and room b, had walls painted with a simple decoration of the last style on a white background.
Room a was called a cubiculum but the design on the flooring did not indicate the place of the bed.
The flooring in this cubiculum had been made of a crushed lava stone outlined with white stones, the carpet design forming a net of octagons and squares.
It was well conserved and so seemed not to have been very old when buried by the eruption.
The wall decoration of the last, IV style, on a background of sea-green was conserved only in the upper part.
On the lower part it had fallen and a decoration of the first style had reappeared on the street (west) wall.
This showed a yellow lower band and traces of the peacock-blue/purple band protruding out that separated it from the coarse stucco of the rest of the wall.
On the other walls was a simple white stucco.
All the antique stucco had been perforated to make the new stucco adhere to it.
See Mau, Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza
Archeologica (DAIR), 1883, (p.80).
See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.502).
IX.7.19 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking north-west across atrium b, with doorway to cubiculum a, on left, and ala c, on right.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Ala c, looking towards west wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking north in ala c
Foto
Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
According to Mau, when excavated the following paintings were found on the walls of this room.
Room c, the ala:
In the middle of the back (north) wall, - fish and shells in water (size: height 0.23m x length 0.31m - the right side was missing (half destroyed, according to Not. di Scavi, 1880, p.491).
On the sides of the back (north) wall – medallions enclosed in garlands (size: 0.20) –
on the left was the head of Diana crowned with leaves, with two javelins. She had dark hair with a narrow necklace around her neck and was wearing a red tunic buckled above both shoulders with a gold coloured buckle.
on the right was the head of Helios, with halo and blue rays, with a whip on the right shoulder. He had long blonde hair and was dressed the same as Diana.
On the right (east) wall, the remains of a destroyed lararium painting was found.
See Mau, in Bullettino
dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1883, (p.79).
See Sogliano, in Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1880, (p.491).
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Looking north-east in ala c towards east wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
According to Boyce, on the east wall of the left ala, a fragment of a lararium painting was seen at the time of excavation.
The fragment represented a single serpent moving amongst foliage.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.88, no.437)
See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.112).
IX.7.19 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking across flooring in ala c.
Foto
Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Looking east towards doorway to room g, on left, with corridor f, in centre, and doorway to room e, on right.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking east to doorway to room g, triclinium in rear wall of atrium, in centre of photo.
The threshold in the doorway of the triclinium was made of marble.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Looking north-east through doorway to triclinium g. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Triclinium g, looking towards north wall, north-east corner and east wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Triclinium g, detail of remaining stucco in north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. May 2005. Room g, remains of wall plaster in triclinium.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Triclinium g, south wall with doorway into room h. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Room h, looking east from doorway in room g. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. May 2005.
Looking south-west from room g, towards doorway in south wall into room h, and in west wall leading into room b, the atrium, on right.
According to Mau, the best conserved parts of the floor in room g, showed that the couches were for at least twelve persons.
They had leaned against the rear wall, and against the rear right and rear left wall.
The decoration was the same as in the atrium, also with a white background, but simpler and without paintings.
The door closed from the internal part by half a beam, inserted in two holes in the doorpost, the one on the right a little higher than the other.
The doorway in the south wall, on the left, leads into room h, a cubiculum.
According to Mau, the cubiculum was not accessible other than from room g.
In this doorway there was no trace of either a threshold or hinges, and it seemed that the doorway had always remained open.
In the east wall, there was a small square window with an impression of a wooden window-frame.
The decoration, on white background and of the same style as that of rooms b and g, contained the following –
Left (west) wall – (size: conserved height 1.0m x conserved length 0.64m) country scene on a white background, showing a rural shrine shaded by a sacred tree, surrounded by a yellow balustrade with a broken herm of Priapus and a thyrsus, leaning against it. There were also two other unknown figures
Entrance (north) wall near the door, pendant to no.1. (size: height I.15m x length 0.76m) the other country scene showed the usual shrine shaded by a tree and in front of this above a pedestal was an image in bronze of a crowned Hercules, with his lion skin and his club on his left arm, and drinking cup in his outstretched right hand. In front of the image stood a man and a burning altar. At the back, there was a bridge with two goats on it.
Entrance (north) wall, to the right of no.2: fragment, (size: height 0.11m x length 0.44m) – Fishes and shells.
Left side of left (west) wall (size: height 0.175m x length 0.325) – A bird with some cherries, and above a shelf some other fruits, but only two were visible on the left, perhaps apples? (The rear part of the painting had vanished).
Right side of left (west) wall, pendant to no.4, (hardly conserved), fruit in two places, at least another fruit but not distinguishable.
See Mau, Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza
Archeologica (DAIR), 1883, (p.80-81).
According to Sogliano in NdS, the paintings found in room h, were in the most part destroyed when excavated. Two country scenes remained, one on the west wall which was damaged on the left side of it – see no.1 above, and the other country scene on the extreme west of the north wall - see no.2 above.
See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1880, (p.491).
IX.7.19 Pompeii. July 2017.
Looking south across atrium towards two doorways, the one on the right leading into room e, at the rear of room d, which is the shop at IX.7.18.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
The other doorway on the left, the rear right of the atrium, leading to room f, a corridor leading to the rear of the house including kitchen and garden.
According to Mau, a pile of material at the entrance of the corridor f, could have been the first step of a stairway to the upper rooms.
Room i was the kitchen with the latrine.
The entrance doorway was very narrow and cut obliquely across the wall in the corner.
Near the south wall was the hearth, and the latrine.
Near the north wall was a large pilaster (1.15 x 1.07) composed of opera incerta (lava) and limestone cut into the form of bricks.
This pilaster was joined with the east wall for an arch, on which was a narrow platform between the pilaster and the east and north walls.
This small room had a doorway into the kitchen.
Then the room was separated from the garden and the doorway to the kitchen was bricked-up.
On the east wall of this new room was a lararium, with a Genius standing to the right of a tripod.
On the other side of the tripod stood the tibicen. Below and to the right, ran a camillus.
Below this were two serpents, gliding, one from each side, amongst plants towards an altar.
Between this painting and the south-east corner of the room were painted, two pots, a large bottle, sausages, a calf’s head, ribs of pork on a spit, and a phallus.
See Boyce G. K.,
1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii.
Rome: MAAR 14. (p.88, no.438)
See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.209, no.106)
The following items were found on 28th December 1880, in “ultima camera interna a destra dell’atriolo” – the last internal room on the right from the atrium. (This would be the room k with the lararium painting).
The remains of a small wooden box with bronze lock and decorations, was found together with the following items gathered together –
A bronze lamp (a lantern to a lamp with two handles made to look like branches surmounted by a shield – Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number: 118253
A terracotta cup with two handles - Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number: 113025
A terracotta lamp with separate handle - Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory numbers: 117227, 117228
A glass bottle - Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number: 114908
Also found were various bronze, terracotta, bone, iron and marble items, as well as 42 containers with various colours.
See Mau in Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza
Archeologica (DAIR), 1883, (p. 82-3).
See Sogliano in Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1880, (p. 491 and p. 493-4).
Thanks to Raffaele Prisciandaro for his assistance in locating the inventory numbers of the items in the Naples Archaeological Museum.
According to Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1881, p.63, the following objects were found in the presence of scholars of the r. Istituto di belle arti di Napoli on 17th February 1881.
They were found in one of the internal rooms.
Bronze basin with damage in the middle, and two unsoldered handles that finished with the head of a sea-horse - Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 118197
Bronze tweezers or small pliers.
Two bronze hinges.
A small bronze coin.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Looking south along corridor f, from atrium b. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Corridor f.
Looking south towards narrow doorway to room i, kitchen and latrine. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Corridor f, south wall.
Narrow doorway to room i, kitchen and latrine. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Room k, looking south through doorway in corridor f. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
The east wall and south-east corner are on the left, presumably the site of the lararium painting, but nothing now remains.
According to Boyce, a small room, room k,
located between kitchen and garden on the south side of the house, was
originally part of the garden.
This small room had a doorway into the
kitchen.
Then the room was separated from the garden
and the doorway to the kitchen was bricked-up.
On the east wall of this new room was a
lararium, with a Genius standing to the right of a tripod.
On the other side of the tripod stood the
tibicen. Below and to the right, ran a camillus.
Below this were two serpents, gliding, one
from each side, amongst plants towards an altar.
Between this painting and the south-east
corner of the room were painted, two pots, a large bottle, sausages, a calf’s
head, ribs of pork on a spit, and a phallus.
He references – Not. Scavi, 1880, 491;
Bull. Inst., 1883, 82.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.88, no.438)
According to NdS, the were also two Lares:
To right in
the atrium there is a room communicating with the back room of the following
taberna, and the access to the kitchen with the latrine, and to a cell, where
the lararium painting is divided into two strips; in
the lower part there are the two serpents, which rush towards the altar with
the offerings, and in the upper part the sacrificing Genius Familiaris, with
tibicen and a camillus between the two Lares.
See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1880, p. 491.
Fröhlich notes: Boyce does not mention Lares.
Boyce 438 (IX 7, 19) describes the Genius
with Camillus and Tibicen grouped around the altar in the usual way, but
without the Lares.
See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den
Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von
Zabern. (p.112).
See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.209, no.106)
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Room k, looking towards south wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Room k, looking towards north wall at east end, with doorway to corridor f. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Corridor f, looking east towards blocked wall with doorway into room m and l (L). Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Corridor f, blocked doorway at north end of east wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. May 2005. Corridor f, east wall.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Corridor f, looking north through doorway into atrium b, and across into ala c.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Doorway into room e, in east wall of atrium b, leading into rear room of IX.7.18.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Room e, looking south-west through doorway towards south wall of rear room of IX.7.18.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Looking west across atrium towards
entrance doorway on Vicolo di Tesmo.
The doorway to room e, is on the left, in the south wall, and doorway to room a, and c, on the right, on north side. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Looking north on Vicolo di Tesmo, with doorways to IX.7.19 and IX.7.18, on right.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.2 Pompeii. May 2005. Vicolo di Tesmo, looking north with doorway to IX.7.19 and part of IX.7.18 (on right).
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Looking west from above IX.7.12, Casina dell’Aquila, towards rear of IX.7.19, rooms m and l (L). Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Looking west from rear. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
The rooms (d) and (e), in centre, are also the shop at IX.7.18, which was linked into IX.7.19.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024. Looking north-west from rear. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Looking north-west from rear. The rooms on the right, (u) and (v) are part of IX.7.20.
Room (l/L) on right, may be part of IX.7.19, or may belong to the house with the fountain and two niches, described by PPM as “area 8”, but shown in IX.7.20. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Room (m) of IX.7.19 can be seen in the lower left.
The area 8, described by PPM, perhaps part of IX.7.16, is on the right.
At present, it could belong to one of many houses, some not yet excavated.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Looking north from rear of Casina dell’Aquila towards a wall emerging from the unexcavated on south side of area 8.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
IX.7.19 Pompeii. October 2024.
Looking north-west from rear of Casina dell’Aquila towards a wall emerging from the unexcavated on south side of area 8, on left.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Plan (Opens in separate window)