I.2.10 Pompeii. Domus of L & M Volusii Fausti.

Linked to I.2.9. Excavated 1873.

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I.2.10 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking east. East wall of atrium, with doorway into corridor leading to rear. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.10 Pompeii. 1964.

Looking east towards large plant (broom) blocking entrance to corridor to rear, and garden area.

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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I.2.10 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking west.

Doorway in west wall of garden area, into corridor leading to atrium.

In the corridor on the left, is the entrance for the steps to the upper floor.

In the corridor on the right, is the doorway into the triclinium with a window overlooking the garden.

Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.10 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking south across corridor towards steps to upper floor. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.10 Pompeii. December 2006. Steps to upper floor on south side of corridor, and above cupboard.

I.2.10 Pompeii. September 2010.

Doorway in north side of corridor into triclinium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.10 Pompeii. September 2010. North-west corner of triclinium, with recess. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.10 Pompeii. September 2010. West wall of triclinium.

This wall appeared to have conserved the largest amount of the painted decoration.

The middle zone of the wall had a central panel painted on a red background and also contained the remains of a painting that was probably already destroyed at the time of the excavation.

The central panel was separated from the side yellow panels by means of a painted narrow green compartment.

The remains of the stucco cornice can be seen below the window. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.10 Pompeii. September 2010.

South wall of triclinium, with doorway into corridor in south-east corner, on left. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

This wall used to show a painting of Bacchus, with cantharus and panther.

According to Sogliano this had nearly disappeared when excavated.

See BDI ,1874, p.198.

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: (p.38, no.160, described as young Dionysus).

According to Kuivalainen this was damaged when discovered and had disappeared by 1875.

It was described as Bacchus pouring wine from a cantharus to a panther”.

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, (p.107, C2).

I.2.10 Pompeii. Found in triclinium. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella. September 2024.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum.  Inventory number: 109678.

According to the information card –

Venus. Slate wall panel with polychrome marble inlay work.

The theme shows Venus with her hair tied back, with bracelets on her wrists and arms.

She leans with her right elbow on a small column as she unties a sandal. (Third quarter of the Ist century AD.)

(Venere. Panello parietale di ardesia a intarsi marmorei policromi.

Il soggetto rappresenta une Venere dai capelli legati, con bracciali ai poisi e alle braccia, la quale, poggiandosi con il gomito destro a un pilastrino, si slaccia un sandalo. Terzo quarto del I secolo d.C.)

I.2.10 Pompeii. Found in triclinium.

Black crystalline rock adorned with opus sectile tablet of Venus untying, or doing up, her sandal.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum.  Inventory number: 109678.

According to Fiorelli, the triclinium was adorned with paintings that were now non-existent, other than a tablet of schist inserted into the wall.

On the tablet was mounted a marble figure of Venus untying her shoes.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.35)

According to Warscher, quoting Olga Elia (Bollettino d’arte, 1929, p.276) –

“Di due pannelli decorativi pompeiani con figure in “opus sectile” ad intarsio”

“Qui ci troviamo dinanzi ad un lavoro di ordine inferiore, di valore estetico negativo, per il rendimente del tipo e la trascuratezza della tecnica……….

Aggiungo qui un quadretto di opus sectile rinvenuto nella casa 10, of Insula 2, Regione I: vi è rappresentata su fondo nero di pietra di Genova una Venere in marmo bianco, che con capelli e braccialetti di marmo giallo, appoggiandosi con la sinistra ad un pilastrino, solleva la gamba sinistra per porsi al piede un armillo”.

See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. (no.22a), Rome: DAIR.

I.2.10 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking east in triclinium, through window onto garden area with remains of summer biclinium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.10 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking west from garden area, through window into triclinium. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.2.10 Pompeii. December 2006. Looking west into triclinium.

I.2.10 Pompeii. December 2006. North wall of triclinium and garden. Upper level.

I.2.10 Pompeii. December 2006.

On the left, the north-east corner of the triclinium (with remains of east wall with window just visible).

In the centre, and on right, north wall of garden area with niche and remains of roughly executed aedicula façade.

The niche would have been situated above the north couch of the biclinium.

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