V.2.h Pompeii. Casa del Cenacolo.

Excavated 1891 to 1893, 1907. Restored 1975.

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V.2.h Pompeii. September 2021.

Looking south across impluvium in atrium ‘d’, towards tablinum ‘f’. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.2.h Pompeii. October 2019. Tablinum ‘f’, looking south-east through doorway from atrium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2.h Pompeii. 1966. South side of atrium, with doorway to tablinum ‘f’. 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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V.2.h Pompeii. 1959. South side of atrium, with doorway to tablinum ‘f’.

At the rear of the tablinum (f), a decorated wall in room (h) can be seen. 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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V.2.h Pompeii. September 2021.

At the rear of the tablinum (f), a decorated wall in room (h) can be seen. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

V.2.h Pompeii. October 2019. Tablinum ‘f’, looking towards east wall and south-east corner.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2.h Pompeii. December 2005. South wall of room ‘f’ the tablinum, with doorway to rear.    

Opposite the entrance fauces was the tablinum, situated between the corridor and the cubiculum.

The tablinum had flooring of signinum and walls with a red background, with black dado and white frieze.

The decoration had nearly all fallen from the south wall.

In the south wall was a block of limestone, which served instead of a step to the doorway which opened out into the small garden ‘h’.

In the central panels of the east and west walls were the circular paintings with heads of youths with crowns of foliage.

These are now found in the Naples Archaeological Museum, (see NdS, 1892, p.28)

Another two medallions with heads were painted on the south wall near to the above-mentioned doorway, as could be seen by the remains of a medallion on the pilaster to the right, in which part of the head was visible.

In the side panels were medallions with landscapes.

Also, here and there on the walls of the tablinum could be seen traces of fire.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1896, (p.422) which refers to tablinum ‘b’, corridor ‘c’, cubiculum ‘d’ and the garden ‘f’.

V.2.h Pompeii. October 2019. Tablinum ‘f’, looking towards west wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2.h Pompeii. October 2019. Tablinum ‘f’, looking south across flooring.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2.h Pompeii. October 2019. Tablinum ‘f’, looking south across flooring, with detail of “net” design in centre.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2.h Pompeii. December 2005. Room ‘f’, decorated floor of tablinum, with geometric pattern and net design. Looking south.

V.2.h Pompeii. 1892. Found in the tablinum, a portrait of male youth with crown.

The word HOMERVS was painted on the scroll. [CIL IV 3445]

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 120620a.

See 13 gen 1892 NSA 1892, 28 V, ii, H, f.

Our thanks to Raffaele Prisciandaro for his help in identifying this object.

See Richardson, L., 2000. A Catalog of Identifiable Figure Painters of Ancient Pompeii, Herculaneum. Baltimore: John Hopkins. (p.102)

V.2.h Pompeii. 1892. Found in the tablinum, a portrait of male youth with crown.

The word PLATO was written on the scroll. [CIL IV 3445].

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 120620b.

See 13 gen 1892 NSA 1892, 28 V, ii, H, f.

Our thanks to Raffaele Prisciandaro for his help in identifying this object.

See Richardson, L., 2000. A Catalog of Identifiable Figure Painters of Ancient Pompeii, Herculaneum. Baltimore: John Hopkins. (p.102)

V.2.h Pompeii. December 2005. Tablinum ‘f’ east wall, round painted medallion of landscape scene.

V.2.h Pompeii. 2002. West wall of atrium ‘d’ and doorway to corridor ‘e’.

V.2.h Pompeii. October 2019.

Looking south through doorway to corridor ‘e’, with stone stair base and reconstructed wooden staircase.

Looking through corridor to west side of room ‘h’.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2.h Pompeii. December 2005. Upper floor cenaculum with columns, looking south across atrium.

According to NdS, in the atrium several parts of tufa fluted columns were found.

They were of various sizes, with bases and Ionic capitals.

According to Sogliano, Mau believed that the said Ionic columns belonged to a portico above the rooms ‘e’, ‘f’ and ‘g’, which would have been open onto the rear side of the atrium.

In 1896 Sogliano thought this was certainly possible, as was seen in other places in Pompeii, but he would not confirm this with certainty, considering above all the lack of robustness of the supporting walls.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1896, (p.422).

See Mau in Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), VIII, 1893, (p.16)

By 1903, Sogliano agreed with Mau, as he wrote that “it was noted that above the tablinum and the two adjacent rooms was a portico or loggia open onto the atrium”.

See Sogliano in Atti del Congresso Scienze e Storiche, 19/4/1903, (p.322)

V.2.h Pompeii. 1959. Upper floor cenaculum with columns, looking south across 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.

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V.2.h Pompeii. October 2017. Looking north to doorway from into walkway ‘k’, with lararium niche.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2.h Pompeii. December 2005.

Looking north to doorway from walkway ‘k’, across area ‘h’, to room ‘e’, the corridor, with wooden reconstructed stairs to the upper cenacolo.

According to NdS, corridor ‘e’ had a threshold of travertine and walls covered with a rustic white plaster.

In the north-west corner of room ‘e’ was a low masonry block, probably the beginning of an ascending stairway.

At the south end of the corridor was a doorway (seen above) leading into area ‘h’, which also had doorways to the tablinum ‘f’, to room ‘i’ a cubiculum, to room ‘l’ triclinium, and doorway to walkway ‘k’ (above) leading to the garden, room ‘n’.

The small garden ‘n’ was preceded by a walkway ‘k’ protected by a roof, which projected from the roof, which covered room ‘h’.

This walkway had a floor of flagstones, littered with chunks or flakes of marble, and did not show any other decoration other than a high yellow dado on the west wall and in the north-west corner.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1896, (p.423) which refers to walkway ‘h’, across area ‘f’, to corridor ‘c’, with wooden stairs, cubiculum ‘i’, triclinium ’g’, garden ‘l’.

In the north-west corner of walkway ‘h’, on the north side of the garden, was a lararium niche and column.

According to Boyce, in the garden was found a cylindrical altar of terracotta, around which a serpent coiled, its head raised above the top.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.36, note 1).

V.2.h Pompeii but shown as from “Silver Wedding” (V.2.i) on photo. Pre 1937-39.

Looking north across garden area towards north wall with lararium with painting of Hercules, and column.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1575.

V.2.h Pompeii. December 2005. Lararium niche in north wall of area ‘k’, found on 10th November 1891.

According to Boyce, behind the tablinum is a narrow space preceding the garden.

In its north wall, to the right of the door, was an arched niche below which was a stucco-covered ledge.

The vaulted ceiling was decorated with crude stars in red and green.

The figure of Hercules is in the centre, beneath two garlands, one yellow, and one green.

On his right stands a painted altar of yellowish marble with a blazing fire on the top, with a laurel bush on either side.

On his left was a hog, which was raising its snout to the edge of the lion skin.

This lararium was found with its equipment complete

a bronze statuette of Mercury with traces of gilding

a terracotta statuette of Minerva,

a bronze statuette representing a kneeling woman extending both hands before her body with both palms turned upward.

Other minor objects were found

a terracotta votive head of a Bacchante

a small circular terracotta altar

a terracotta lamp

an amulet in the form of a dolphin

two coins

an as of Germanicus

a sestertius of Nero.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.37, no.108, Pl. 8,1)

V.2.h Pompeii. December 2005. Lararium niche painting in north wall of area ‘k’. 

Hercules is wearing a lion skin, with a club in his left arm and a Skyphos in his right hand. 

To his left stands a small pig.  To his right is a round altar.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.269, L48, T:32).

V.2.h Pompeii. October 2017. Walkway ‘k’, detail of lararium painting.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.2.h Pompeii. Pre 1937-39. Lararium niche painting in north wall of area ‘k’. 

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive.

Warsher collection no. 962a.

V.2.h Pompeii. Undated painting by Pierre Gusman. Lararium niche painting in north wall of area ‘k’. 

(XXVII. 1° Laraire consacré à Hercule, partie annexe de la maison des Noces d'argent (Région V, 2). Quatrième style.)

See Gusman P., 1924. La Décoration Murale de Pompei. Paris : Morancé, pl. XXVII,1.

V.2.h Pompeii. 1893 drawing of lararium niche and painting.

According to Mau, the stucco relief above, below and at the sides was completely preserved.

See Mau in Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), VIII, 1893, p. 26.

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