VIII.2.26 Pompeii. Casa del Cinghiale II or House of Vesbinus.

Linked to VIII.2.27. Excavated 1887, 1928.

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      VIII.2.26-27 Plan

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. May 2024.  

Looking west along south side of Vicolo della Regina towards entrance doorway of VIII.2.26. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. October 2022.

Looking west along south side of Vicolo della Regina towards entrance doorway of VIII.2.26. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2023.

Looking east towards entrance doorways, VIII.2.27 on left, and VIII.2.26 in centre. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking east along south side of Vicolo della Regina towards entrance doorway of VIII.2.26, centre left. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. March 2014. Looking east on Vicolo della Regina from entrance doorway, on right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2023. Looking south to entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. March 2014. Looking south through entrance doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii, on right. December 2023.

Left (east) side of entrance doorway, site of mutilated electoral recommendation, according to Della Corte.

On the left is the doorway into VIII.2.27. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance doorway.

According to Della Corte –

a mutilated electoral recommendation written on the façade between the two entrances, on the left of the doorway, read –

…………cum Vesbino rog(at)      [CIL IV 786]

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.258).

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. Graffito to Quintus Postumius Modestus written by Vesbinus as shown in CIL.

According to Epigraphic Database Roma, this was found in 1816 and reads:

Q(uintum) Postumium quinq(uennalem)
[----]c̣[um Vêsb]ino rog(at)      [CIL IV 786]

Here we are talking about Quintus Postumius Modestus, attested in several other inscriptions.

See Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum Vol. IV, 1871. Berlin: Reimer, p. 47, CIL IV 786.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. Plan of house and adjacent houses VIII.2.22-28. (Street level floor in dark black, lower floor in grey.)

(Note: different room numbers).

According to Mau (in BdI Mitteilungen), these houses were unearthed, incompletely however, at the time of the first excavations, and then reburied.

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1888, (p.181, and Tav. VII)

VIII.2.26 and VIII.2.28 Pompeii. Plans in NdS 1888. (Note: different room numbers again).

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1888, p.510.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2023.

Doorway to room ‘c’, on east side of vestibule ‘a’. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2005. Doorway to room ‘c’, on east of entrance.

When excavated, a black zoccolo with ‘carpet’ border and the middle of wall painted red, could be seen.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2023.

Vestibule ‘a’, looking south across flooring towards vestibule ‘b’. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. c.1930. Vestibule ‘a’, looking south across flooring towards closed doorway to vestibule ‘b’.

See Blake, M., (1930). The pavements of the Roman Buildings of the Republic and Early Empire. Rome, MAAR, 8, (p.27 & Pl,5, tav.3).

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. c.1930. Vestibule ‘a’, cocciopesto flooring decorated in small white tesserae.

DAIR 41.752. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

See Pernice, E.  1938. Pavimente und Figürliche Mosaiken: Die Hellenistische Kunst in Pompeji, Band VI. Berlin: de Gruyter, (Tav. 45.2.)

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. October 2022.

Looking towards west wall of entrance vestibule ‘a’ with remaining painted decoration. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2023.

Painted wall decoration from west wall of entrance vestibule ‘a’.

Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2005. Painted wall decoration from west wall of entrance vestibule ‘a’.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2023.

Looking south from entrance vestibule ‘a’, across vestibule ‘b’, towards atrium. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. April 2022. Looking south from entrance vestibule ‘a’. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking south across atrium, from vestibule with mosaic of boar. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. 2017/2018/2019. Looking south from vestibule across atrium. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. January 2017. Looking south from vestibule across atrium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking south towards boar mosaic, and into atrium. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. January 2017. Looking south into vestibule ‘b’ with boar mosaic.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. April 2017.

Looking south from entrance doorway into vestibule, ‘b’ with boar mosaic. Photo courtesy of Dr Paul J. Turner.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2004. Looking south from entrance doorway into vestibule, ‘b’.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii.

Looking south from entrance across mosaic and towards atrium floor of a black mosaic with dots of large white tesserae surrounded by a white striped border.

Photographed 1970-79 by Günther Einhorn, picture courtesy of his son Ralf Einhorn.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. May 2010. Boar mosaic in entrance vestibule ‘b’.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2018. Boar mosaic. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. October 2020. Detail of boar mosaic in entrance vestibule ‘b’. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. January 2017. Looking south along west wall, from vestibule ‘a’ into vestibule ‘b’.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2005. Painted wall decoration on west wall of vestibule ‘b’.

According to NdS – “The walls were painted black with red zoccolo.

On the wall to the right (west) in the central square was a painted standing female figure (0.46 high), crowned with fronds, with grey robe and yellow cloak, holding in her left hand a round plate with fruit; and on the left wall (east) was another crowned female figure (0.48 high), with yellow robe and greenish cloak, between her hands was a long torch.”

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1888, (p. 512)

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2011. Mosaic and painted wall decoration on east wall of vestibule ‘b’.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. December 2005. Painted wall decoration on east wall of vestibule ‘b’, with painted female figure, just visible.

According to NdS –

“on the left wall (east) was another crowned female figure (0.48 high), with yellow robe and greenish cloak, between her hands was a long torch.”

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1888, (p. 512)

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. May 2004. Looking south from entrance across atrium ‘d’.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. October 2022.

Looking south from entrance across Tuscanic atrium ‘d’ with remains of large impluvium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. October 2020.

Looking south from entrance across Tuscanic atrium ‘d’ with remains of large impluvium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. March 2014. Looking south from entrance across Tuscanic atrium ‘d’ with remains of large impluvium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2005.

North side of atrium ‘d’, with doorways to triclinium ‘r’, entrance vestibule ‘b’, and cubiculum ‘e’.

The doorway to the kitchen area ‘h’ is on the right.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2005.

Doorways to cubiculum ‘q’ and triclinium ‘r’ in north-west corner of atrium, on west side of entrance vestibule ‘b’.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2011. Room ‘r’, decoration of triclinium floor of cocciopesto, room on west side of vestibule.

There was no design under the couches of the triclinium, in the front of them was placed the “net” of octagons and squares.

In the centre of each was a marble slab/flake and, and in the area of the table, there was a “carpet” of nine circles placed within a frame made by three lines of small tesserae, interspersed with flakes of polychrome marbles and with diamond-shaped tiles at the corners.

Large flakes/scales or tiles of polychrome marble were also in the centre of the circles.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 206.

In the left lower corner, the marble doorway threshold can be seen.

When excavated the walls would have been painted in the IV style, with a red zoccolo containing panels showing a ‘carpet’ border.

The middle zone of the walls would also have been painted red, with panels separated by architectural motifs.

The west wall was seen to have black side panels, on either side of a red central panel.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. c.1930. Flooring from room on right of entrance, room ‘r’, the triclinium.

In the centre of the room, under the table, would have been a design with nine circles surrounded by a frame, set into the flooring. 

See Blake, M., (1930). The pavements of the Roman Buildings of the Republic and Early Empire. Rome, MAAR, 8, (p.33, ftn. 5 & Pl.5 tav.2).

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking north across atrium ‘d’ to entrance doorway.

When excavated, the large impluvium was already missing its coating, probably of marble.

In the centre, it would have had a fountain fed by a pipe that entered below the floor in the north-east corner, where the large hole remains unrestored.

On the right can be seen the remains of the black floor mosaic with inset large stones of white tesserae and a border of two white lines.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2005. Doorways to three cubicula and triclinium on the west side of atrium.

On the left, room ‘n’, with doorways to cubicula ‘o’, ‘p’, and ‘q’ (centre right), and triclinium ‘r’, on the right.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2005. Doorways to two cubicula on west side of atrium. Room ‘p’ on the left, and room ‘q’ on the right.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2005. Doorways to two cubicula on west side of atrium.

Room ‘o’ on the left, and room ‘p’ on the right.

In room ‘o’, the floor was found paved with simple white mosaic with a border of black tesserae.

On the south wall (on left), the purple zoccolo showed a motive of a taut garland with a disc at the centre, and a border of ‘carpet’ squares.

The middle zone was subdivided into panels, of which the central panel was on a blue background, and showed a painting already unrecognisable at the time of excavation. The side panel was black.

On the west wall, the upper zone of the wall although discoloured and faded, showed traces of architectural partitions but not very well defined.

In room ‘p’, the floor was of cocciopesto similar to that seen in the room ‘L’.

In the north corner of the west wall, the remains of the plaster of the red zoccolo and the darker red of the middle zone can still be seen.

Nothing remains from the other walls and no evidence from the south wall where Mau could see a painting, partly preserved, of Venere Pescatrice.

She was seen turning towards the left.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2011. Looking south-west across atrium ‘d’.

VIII.2.26 Pompeii. September 2005.

South-west corner of atrium, with entrance to garden terrace ‘s’, and doorways to triclinium ‘n’ and cubiculum ‘o’.

(Note: our triclinium ‘n’ (and also PPM) is the same room as NdS room “q”, centre left in above photo.

Room “p” (as in NdS below), is the room in the south-east corner of the east side of the atrium, our room “m”.)

According to NdS –

“The room to the west of the tablinum, room "q" was similarly decorated to room “p”, with yellow background, black zoccolo and mosaic floor.

In the middle of its west wall you could still see the remains of a painting, but even those remains were very destroyed: here one could see, just to the right a manly figure, naked except for a cloak around the loins, he was painted almost from behind, rising on his feet, and stretching as much as he could, stretched his arms to reach a height that was not well discerned. In the side panels of the walls were flying cupids.”

Near to this room was the staircase "r" by which you descended to the floor beneath.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1888, (p. 513).

(NdS –

“Su ciascun lato di questa parte meridionale dell’atrio si apre una stanza; quella ad oriente “p” ha le pareti quasi del tutto cadute, ed era decorata a fondo giallo con zoccolo nero e pavimento di musaico; l’altra ad occidente “q” era decorata similmente.

Nel mezzo della sua parete ovest vedesi tuttora l’avanzo di un quadretto, ed anche questo avanzo era molto distrutto: vi si distingue appena a destra una figura virile nuda, salvo un mantello intorno al lombi, che dipinta quasi di spalle, si solleva su i piedi, e allungandosi per quanto può, stende le braccia per raggiungere un’altezza che non ben si discerne. Nei riquadri laterali delle pareti v’erano Amorini volanti.”).

Part 2      Part 3      VIII.2.26-27 Plan