VII.4.56 Pompeii. Casa del
Granduca di Toscana or House of the Grand Duke
or House of the Marble Silenus.
Excavated 1833 and 1845.
Part 5 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Plan
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking north-east across garden area.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking east across garden area.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Garden area, looking east from west portico.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. 1959. Garden area, looking south from north portico. 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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VII.4.56 Pompeii. September 2021.
Looking towards fountain against south wall of garden area. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
This fountain was found in June 1833 in the presence of the Grand
Duke of Tuscany, Leopoldo II, from whom the house is named.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. September 2021.
Stucco covered masonry column, on east side of fountain. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. September 2021.
Looking south to fountain on rear wall of garden area. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. September 2021.
Masonry column with stucco, on west side of fountain. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Mosaic fountain and pool.
VII.4.56 Pompeii, 1978.
Mosaic fountain and pool. 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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VII.4.56 Pompeii. 1959. Mosaic fountain and pool. 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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VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. East wall of garden area, with remains of garden paintings.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Garden area, south-east corner and table.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Mosaic aedicula fountain against south wall of garden area.
VII.4.56 Pompeii, 1978.
Mosaic fountain and table against south wall. 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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VII.4.56 Pompeii, 1978. Looking south towards aedicula fountain. 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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VII.4.56 Pompeii. 1959. Looking south towards aedicula fountain. 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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VII.4.56 Pompeii. Undated watercolour by Luigi Bazzani.
Looking south across garden area towards aedicula fountain.
Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum. Inventory number 114-1889.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. Undated watercolour by Luigi Bazzani.
Looking south across garden area towards aedicula fountain.
Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum. Inventory number 1427-1901.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. Pre 1835 drawing by Fausto Niccolini of detail of fountain and pool.
A duct that had 4 branches led water to the various jets. The highest sprang from the mouth of the urn on which the Faun rested, the second led the water to the steps. The third to the flow of water that led to the tank in the middle, the fourth to the two rabbits that also squirted water.”
See Real Museo Borbonico, vol. XI, 1835. Tav. B.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Garden area. Pool at base of fountain, edged with marble and divided into three basins.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. South-east corner of garden area. Garden painting, garden table, fountain and pool.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. South wall of garden area. Remains of garden painting on east side of fountain.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009.
South wall of garden area. Remains of garden painting on west side of fountain.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Remains of garden painting on south wall of garden area on west side of fountain.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. Pre 1835 drawing by Fausto Niccolini of detail of mosaic and shell fountain.
See Real Museo Borbonico, vol. XI, 1835. Tav. A.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. Excerpt from p.10 of RMB, vol.11.
According to RMB,
“Relazione degli Scavi di Pompei da Marzo 1834 ad April 1835” (p.10) -
“The
form of this fountain was an aedicula made of masonry and faced with glass
mosaics and adorned with shells.
In a niche
that opened in the middle of it was the statuette of Silenus with an urn
leaning at his side. Two painted plaster rams flanked Silenus.
Four steps of
cipollino marble made the flow of water descend from the overhang of the plinth
of the niche, in which was a mosaic showing a hippopotamus and two men in a
boat fighting it.
A head of a
Faun and two marble rabbits stood on the edge of the three basins/tanks, in
which the water that descended from the various jets of the fountain was
stored. A duct that had 4 branches led water to the various jets. The highest
sprang from the mouth of the urn on which the Faun rested, the second led the water
to the steps. The third to the flow of water that led to the tank in the
middle, the fourth to the two rabbits that also squirted water.”
See Real Museo
Borbonico, vol. XI, 1835.Relazione p.10.
VII.4.56
Pompeii. October 2023.
Marble statue of Silenus,
found June 1833 in the niche of the fountain in the garden area, inv. 6341.
Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
On
display in “L’altra MANN” exhibition, October 2023, at Naples Archaeological
Museum.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. Small marble statue of Silenus.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 6341.
See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici:
Vol. VII. Roma: Istituto
della enciclopedia italiana, p. 61.
See Dwyer, E. J., 1982. Pompeian Domestic Sculpture. Roma: Giorgio Bretschneider, p. 47 item XXI and Fig. 186.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. Drawing by La Volpe of small marble statue of Silenus.
See Real Museo Borbonico, vol. XI, 1835. Tav. LXI.
According to RMB –
This statue was around “due palmi e mezzo” (0.66m or 2ft, 2inches) high and was made from colourful glass paste combined with shells.
When found, his left hand was missing and his left foot was broken and missing.
According to Pagano and Prisciandaro –
1st June 1833, found in its niche –
- a small marble statue of Silenus (NAP 6341), and
-
two
small goats of soft material coloured green (due piccoli caproni di materia
tenera colorati di verde) (NAP 123982)
See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi, (p. 148, and (PAH II, p.273).
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Aedicula mosaic fountain.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Niche of aedicula fountain.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Four marble steps under niche.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Mosaic panel of a Nile scene of two men in a boat fighting off a hippopotamus.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. East side of niche of fountain.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. East side of niche in greater detail showing a tree.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. East side of niche in greater detail showing birds.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. East side of niche in greater detail.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Top of niche in greater detail.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. West side of niche in greater detail.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. West side of niche in greater detail.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking north through tablinum, across atrium, to entrance.
VII.4.56 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking north from entrance, across Via della Fortuna, along Vicolo del Labirinto, to Tower X.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Plan