V.4.c Pompeii. House of M. Samellius Modestus or Casa degli Ori.
Excavated 1902-3.
V.4.c Pompeii. March 2009. Room H, looking east. Doorway to cubiculum on south side of tablinum.
On the right of this doorway the painting of Mercury was discovered, on a large red panel.
See the description of Mercury on the photo entitled “Looking east across north side of atrium, room B” in Part 1.
According to Sogliano, the doorway had a threshold of lava, and showed the remains of wood and raw plaster in the doorjambs.
The room was divided into two parts.
The rear part destined to contain the bed, which had its recess in the north wall, with the attic floor above rather low, so as to be almost an alcove.
The front part of the room had a higher ceiling.
The decoration had a white background, separated into panels, with the base of the wall painted black.
In the panels, flying animals could be seen.
On the rear east wall two parrots with long ribbon between the beak and feet could be seen.
On each of the two side walls were two swans and a flying stag, and on the wall at the entrance a ram.
The floor was of cocciopesto.
At the top of the south wall were the remains of a window and at a distance from it a rectangular niche that belonged to the room above.
Found on 15th March 1902, gathered together in the upper part of a room near the tablinum, a bronze statuette of Hercules with club and the apple of the Hesperides, together with the other objects described in NdS, 1902, (page 213).
See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1905, (p.134).
On the right of this doorway the painting of Mercury, described above, can be seen which was discovered, on a large red panel.
Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 478.
V.4.c Pompeii. March 2009. Room H, north wall of cubiculum.
V.4.c Pompeii. May 2005. Room H, north wall of cubiculum.
V.4.c Pompeii. March 2009. Room H, recess in north wall of cubiculum.
V.4.c Pompeii. May 2005. Room H, recess in north wall of cubiculum.
V.4.c Pompeii. March 2009. Room B, south wall of atrium. The best-preserved wall of the atrium was the south wall.
It was divided into three large panels, the middle yellow, and the sides were red.
In the middle of the central panel was a painted flying panther.
In each of the side panels were peacocks with garlands between their feet.
The base of the wall was black and divided into panels.
See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1905, (p.131)
V.4.c Pompeii. March 2009. Base of stairs (c) to upper floor, in south-west corner of atrium B.
According to Sogliano, leaning against the south wall would have been the wooden stairs that led to the upper floor, only the base remained.
Under the stairs would have been a small storage area, with the traces of shelving.
See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1905, (p.131)
V.4.c Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room I, cubiculum in south-west corner of atrium B, next to entrance corridor A.
According to Sogliano, the walls of this cubiculum were painted on a white background but with panels separated by a red band. In the west wall was a window overlooking the vicolo.
The floor was of opus signinum with a design representing a set of stars with squares in the centre.
This cubiculum was also divided into two parts, similar to room H.
The largest section was in the south which contained the alcove and was covered with a barrel-vault.
Above the room would have been another attic room.
Found in this room on April 29th, 1902, was an alabaster Venus figurine, with missing parts.
See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1905, (p.134-5)
V.4.c Pompeii. March 2009. Room I, south-west corner of cubiculum.
V.4.c Pompeii. March 2009. Room I, west wall of cubiculum, with small window onto Vicolo di M. L. Frontone.