IX.7.20 Pompeii. Casa degli Archi or House of the Arches

or House of Caprasius Felix and Fortunata or Casa della Fortuna.

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IX.7.16 (?) or IX.7.(?) Pompeii. October 2024. Mosaic fountain area at rear of IX.7.20. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

According to PPM, in relation to IX.7.16,

"The mosaic fountain, present in the partially excavated garden, located to the E of the peristyle of the house at no. 20, was added to this house [IX.7.16], since it was reachable from it".

This is number 8 on their plan, continuing the IX.7.16 numbering.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. IX, Parte II. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 783.

IX.7.20 or IX.7.(?) Pompeii. June 2024. Looking west from rear of Casina dell’Aquila. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

IX.7.20 or IX.7.(?) Pompeii. October 2024.

Niche against west wall, on south side of fountain. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

(Note: this has also been entered at IX.7.16).

IX.7.20 or IX.7.(?) Pompeii. October 2024.

Fountain against west wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

(Note: this has also been entered at IX.7.16).

IX.7.20 Pompeii. October 2017. Mosaic fountain, looking west.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Mosaic fountain.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p. 89, no.446)

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.242-3, no.504, location given as IX.7.25)

IX.7.20 Pompeii. 1977. Top of mosaic 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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IX.7.20 Pompeii. 1977. Mosaic 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.

J77f0421

IX.7.20 Pompeii. 1931. Mosaic fountain.

DAIR 31.2473. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. 1931. Mosaic fountain.

DAIR 31.2474. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

IX.7.20 (or 25) Pompeii. Undated watercolour by Luigi Bazzani.

Looking south-west towards fountain, and an aedicula niche on its south side.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inv. no. 139427.

(described as “Fountain of the House of C. Virnius Modestus (IX 7, 16) in Pompeii”.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. July 1901. Watercolour of fountain by Luigi Bazzani.

Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum. Inventory number 1074-1886.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. 1882. Watercolour of fountain by Luigi Bazzani.

Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum. Inventory number 1074-1886.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. 14^th June 1882. Watercolour of fountain by Luigi Bazzani, detail.

Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum. Inventory number D.1075-1886.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. From an album dated c.1875-1885. Mosaic fountain.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Mosaic fountain, top pediment restored.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. October 2017. Detail from mosaic fountain. Arched top with Venus in a shell and bathing figures.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Mosaic fountain. Arched top with Venus in a shell and bathing figures.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007.

Mosaic fountain. Detail from arched top. Two female figures, one seated on rock with second standing behind.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Mosaic fountain. Detail from arched top.

Bathing scene with cherubs or cupids and male figure bathing and female figure holding robes.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. October 2017. Detail from mosaic fountain.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Mosaic fountain, curved rear, centre part.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Base for statue, originally veneered in white marble, at base of mosaic fountain.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Mosaic fountain.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Mosaic fountain. Detail of female figure on left hand panel.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. 1977. Left hand (south) side of 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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IX.7.20 Pompeii. 1977. Found nearby. 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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IX.7.20 Pompeii. 1977. Found nearby. 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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IX.7.20 or IX.7.(?) Pompeii. October 2024.

Niche against west wall, on north side of fountain. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

(Note: this has also been entered at IX.7.16).

IX.7.20 Pompeii. May 2005. On each side of the fountain was an aedicula with a niche.

When excavated this one, found on the north side (to the right) contained the following terracotta statues –

Asclepius with snake, Bacchus with a leopard, a clothed woman holding a bird, and fragments of a fourth – perhaps Minerva.

Also found was a small terracotta bird resembling a dove on a cylindrical base.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p. 89, no.446)

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.242-3, no.504, location given as IX.7.25).

According to Kuivalainen, one of the group of terracotta figures, Bacchus (Now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 116664), was discovered with traces of colour; the left hand of the youth and the head of the animal are missing.

Kuivalainen describes –

A moulded figure of a male standing on a round base. His weight is on his right foot, he wears whitish boots and carries a white cloak with a red lining on his left outstretched arm, leaving his body naked in front and turning round the back over the right arm; his right arm hangs straight down and he pours wine from a cantharus to the panther sitting next to his right foot; his head is slightly turned towards the right and he gazes a little upwards.

Kuivalainen comments –

The figurine follows the customary model of the marble statues depicting a young Bacchus giving wine to a panther. It was not, however, a popular subject as a terracotta figurine, nor in bronzes. As it was discovered in a lararium it surely had religious meaning.

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, (H11, p.217).

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Aedicula with niche on north side of fountain.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Aedicula with niche on north side of fountain, looking west.

According to Boyce -

When excavated this one, found on the north side (to the right) contained the following terracotta statues –

Asclepius with snake, Bacchus with a leopard, a clothed woman holding a bird, and fragments of a fourth – perhaps Minerva.

Also found was a small terracotta bird resembling a dove on a cylindrical base.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p. 89, no.446)

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.242-3, no.504, location given as IX.7.25).

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Rear west wall of aedicula niche.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking north.

IX.7.20 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking north-east into the unexcavated area.

IX.7.21-20 Pompeii, on left.                           Vicolo di Tesmo looking south.                                     IX.2, on right.

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