Pompeii. Household shrines to the domestic gods, I.11.1 to I.21.5.

 

These pages contain all the references to Lararia, Aedicula, Niches, Sacrarium/Sacellum, and Lararium paintings, found inside properties in Pompeii.

For some of these the actual purpose is unknown.

The individual locations identified on each item may contain further photos and details, you can see these by looking at the pompeiiinpictures pages in question.

 

Back to household shrines list

 

I.11.1 Pompeii.

Lararium niche in east wall.

 

I.11.1 Pompeii. August 2021. Looking south-east across bar-room. Photo courtesy of Robert Hanson.

The doorway on the left in the south-east corner of bar-room went into a room for customers, against the north and east wall were benches, and a lararium niche was set into the east wall.

The doorway, in the centre, led into another room for customers (?).

On its east wall, where yellow plaster is visible, was a painting of Venus and Dionysus, now destroyed.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. II. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.512-515, nos. 8-13).

Kuivalainen describes –

“A composition of two figures standing in a landscape. On the left stands a youth with his weight on his right foot, leaning on a pillar; he wears a nebris falling from his left shoulder over his chest, and a cloak covering his left thigh but mostly falling on the column; he looks downwards at his right hand, pouring wine from a cantharus; in his left hand he holds a thyrsus. A panther sits with its left foreleg raised and drinks the wine. On the right stands a naked female figure with her weight on her right foot; in her raised right hand she holds a mirror, towards which she bends he head, and the raised left hand touches her hair; a cloak is falling down from her upper arm.”

Kuivalainen comments –

“A young Bacchus with a panther and a naked female, perhaps Venus by her appearance.”

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, (p.130, D8).

 

I.11.1 Pompeii. July 2021.

Room in south-east corner of bar-room with benches for the clients against the north and east walls and a lararium niche in the east wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

According to PPM –

“After the fall (between 1977 and 1979) of the last layer of white plaster, the ancient painting of the Genius with a veiled head, sacrificing to the altar, had reappeared. The face of the genius had already been stolen before 1977.”

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. II. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.513).

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern.  (p.257, L19).

 

I.11.3 Pompeii.

Niche, south wall of garden area.

 

I.11.3 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking through kitchen doorway towards niche on south wall of the garden.

Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.11.3 Pompeii. December 2007. Niche on south wall of the garden viewed through kitchen doorway.

 

I.11.6 Pompeii.

Niche, east side of south wall of garden area.

 

I.11.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 5, south wall of tablinum with window overlooking garden, and door to corridor.

According to Jashemski, the small garden had a covered passageway on the east and a water channel along this side to catch roof water. 

The garden was excavated between 1952 and 1954.

A terracotta puteal covered the cistern opening in the southwest corner of the garden. 

There was also a sundial and a small statue base in the garden when excavated. 

There were garden paintings on the south and west walls.

From the entrance, a large picture window in the tablinum permitted a fine view to the garden beyond. 

There was a niche lararium in the south wall of the passageway on the east.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.51)

 

I.11.6 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, niche. Arched niche on east side of south wall in garden.

According to Giacobello, the niche was found on a wall frescoed in yellow and was part of a painted wall decoration.

The niche was made in the last period of the house, when the interior decoration of the garden was done.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico.  Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.257, no.V14).

 

I.11.7 Pompeii.

Niche, west wall of shop.

 

I.11.7 Pompeii. December 2018.

West wall of the shop with niche, and doorway to I.11.6 in south wall, on left. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.11.7 Pompeii. December 2018. Square niche in west wall. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

 

I.11.8 Pompeii.

Niches, north and west wall of atrium.

 

I.11.8 Pompeii. December 2006. Looking north-west across atrium towards doorway at I.11.5.

On the right of the picture are two niches one above the other in the wall to east of entrance corridor.

On the left is a painted niche in the west wall.

 

I.11.8 Pompeii. December 2006. Painted niche on west wall of atrium.

 

Two niches, west wall of cubiculum.

 

I.11.8 Pompeii. December 2006. Two niches in west wall of cubiculum to north-west of atrium.

 

Altar, south wall of garden area.

 

I.11.8 Pompeii. December 2006. Altar against south wall of garden.

 

 

I.11.11 Pompeii.

Painted lararium on north wall of bar-room.

 

I.11.11 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking north to entrance doorway, with bar-counter. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.11.11 Pompeii. July 2021. Painted lararium at east end of north wall of bar-room.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

 

I.11.11 Pompeii. December 2018. Lararium on north wall of bar-room. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.11.11 Pompeii. December 2018. Detail from painted Lararium on north wall of bar-room. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.258, L21, T:14,1:24,2).

 

Painted lararium on exterior south wall of latrine.

 

I.11.10/11 Pompeii. December 2018. Lararium on exterior south wall of latrine. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

The lower zone was a painted wall in imitation stone.  In the middle zone was painted block work.

Above, a serpent approached a round altar from the left, passing through perennial plants.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p. 258, L22, T:27,1).

 

I.11.12 Pompeii.

Pseudo-aedicula lararium, south wall of garden area.

 

I.11.12 Pompeii. 1964.

Painted plaster on doorway to small room, on left, and south wall with niche. 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.11.12 Pompeii. December 2006. Aedicula niche on south wall of garden. A Venus statuette was found in the niche.

Small cavities had been made in the wall on both sides of the niche. The heads of 3 small Herms were found in three of them.

Giacobello described this as a pseudo-aedicula lararium.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.257, no.V15)

 

I.11.13 Pompeii.

Niche, east wall of garden area.

 

I.11.13 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east across garden area.

According to Jashemski, the garden had a portico on the west (nearest) side supported by one column.

A low wall separated the garden from the portico.

There is an arched niche Lararium on the east wall.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.52)

Neither the one column on the portico nor the low wall appear to be there anymore.

 

I.11.13 Pompeii. December 2006.

Arched niche lararium on east wall. The niche and surrounding wall panel were plastered and painted white.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico.  Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.258, no.V16)

(She locates the lararium niche as being on the south wall).

 

I.11.14 Pompeii.

Niche, north wall of kitchen.

 

I.11.14 Pompeii. December 2006. Niche in north wall of kitchen.

According to Giacobello, this arched niche located near to the bench was covered in white stucco with a protruding brick ledge.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.151, no.23)

 

I.11.15/9 Pompeii.

Painting, south end of west wall of peristyle.

 

I.11.15 Pompeii. January 2023.

Room 10, west wall of garden area with four-sided altar in front of painted lararium. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.258, no.V17)

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern.  (p. 258, L20. Taf. 3.2).

 

I.11.15 Pompeii. 1968. Room 10, garden area. Altar with four sides in front of painted lararium. 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.11.17 Pompeii.

Painting, east wall of kitchen.

 

I.11.17 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 6, lararium painting over kitchen hearth.

According to Fröhlich, there was a white painted wall surface.

At the bottom, about in the middle, the upper ends of two palm bushes are visible.

To the left and right are the flanking Lars.

At the top are two garlands. The remains of a third garland has survived on the left edge.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991, Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (L23 on p.258 and picture 27,3).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.151, no.24)

 

I.11.17 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 6, detail of south end of lararium painting in kitchen.

 

I.11.17 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 6, detail of Lar at (left) north end of lararium painting in kitchen.

 

I.11.17 Pompeii. Room 6, detail of Lar at (left) north end of lararium painting in kitchen.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991, Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (L23 on p.258 and Taf. 27,3).

 

I.12.3 Pompeii.

Painting on east wall of kitchen.

 

I.12.3 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking towards south side of Via dell’Abbondanza, with doorway to I.12.4 on left, and I.12.3, in centre.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

 

I.12.3 Pompeii. December 2018.

Room 4, looking towards north-east corner in kitchen. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991, Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.258, L24, taf.4.2).

 

I.12.3 Pompeii. 1964. Room 4, lararium on east wall of kitchen. 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.12.5 Pompeii.

Painted niche under stairs in east wall of courtyard/garden.

 

I.12.5 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking south towards entrance doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

 

I.12.5 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking east across garden area towards two masonry arches/alcoves built under the stairs against the east wall.

Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.12.5 Pompeii. December 2018.

Smallest arch/alcove under stairs against east wall of garden area.

This was used as a lararium, in front of it was a pedestal and a small tufa altar. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.259, L25.)

 

I.12.5 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking east to painted lararium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

 

I.12.6 Pompeii.

Niche, north wall of cubiculum.  (No photo).

According to Giacobello –

“An arched niche (h.0.25, width 0.34, depth 0.22, height from the ground 1.28), with protruding tile as a base, internally plastered in white and found in a painted panel.”

She quotes – Orr, 1972, p.157, PPM II, pp. 747-751.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.288, no.C2).

 

I.12.8 Pompeii.

Painting, north-west corner of kitchen.

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking towards entrance doorway on north side of Via di Castricio. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 10, north-west corner of kitchen with lararium.

On the north wall can just be seen some cloth, which has adhered to the lararium and damaged it.

It used to show one serpent approaching a round altar from the right. 

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni.  (p.152-3, no.25).

According to Curtis, the lararium painting covering two walls above the oven in the kitchen was beautiful but badly-deteriorated.

Painted on the north wall was a large single serpent near an altar. On the altar were sacrificial gifts, such as pine cones.

There may have been another scene beneath the serpent, but the wall was too badly damaged to verify this.

See Curtis, R.I: The Garum shop at Pompeii, In Cronache Pompeiane, V,1979, (p.20-1)

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.259, L26, taf 26.1).

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. 1968.

Room 10, lararium in north-west corner of kitchen. 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.12.8 Pompeii. 1968. Room 10, north wall with lararium painting. 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.

J68f1284

According to Curtis, painted on the north wall was a large single serpent near an altar. On the altar were sacrificial gifts, such as pine cones.

There may have been another scene beneath the serpent, but the wall was too badly damaged to verify this.

See Curtis, R.I: The Garum shop at Pompeii, In Cronache Pompeiane, V,1979, (p.20-1).

 

Niche in north wall of room on east side of entrance room.

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. December 2006. Room 2, on east of entrance room.

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. October 2022. Room 2, looking towards north wall with niche. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, niche on north wall.

 

Stone altar with scrolled top and carved with a 12-petalled flower, in low wall of peristyle garden.

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. December 2018.

Room 9, peristyle garden. Low wall in north-west corner with decorative stone altar, separating portico from peristyle garden.

Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 9, peristyle garden. Low wall with decorative stone altar, separating portico from peristyle garden.

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. December 2018.

Room 9, detail of carved stone altar in low wall of peristyle garden. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

According to Espen B. Andersson [email] –

“it is an old house altar of grey tufa. Both the material and the fact that it is very worn tells us it is ancient”.

 

I.12.8 Pompeii. March 2009.

Room 9, detail of stone altar with scrolled top ends and carved with a 12-petalled flower, in low wall of peristyle garden.

 

I.12.9 Pompeii.

Painting, east wall of kitchen.

 

I.12.9 Pompeii. December 2018. Entrance doorway on north side of Via di Castricio. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.12.9 Pompeii. December 2007. East wall of kitchen.

According to PPP and Giacobello, on the east wall of the kitchen above the bench was a lararium, now completely disappeared.

According to PPP, the Lararium was shown with altar, offerings, a Lar, and a decayed serpent.

According to Giacobello, in the upper part was the figure of the Genius sacrificing near an altar.

He was assisted by two people, presumably the camillus and the tibicine.

On his left, was a painted Lar with his arm held high, near to him was a large ham.

Upon discovery, the serpent near an altar in the lower zone was only partially conserved.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.153, no.26)

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1981. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 1. Rome: ICCD. (p.176)

 

I.12.9 Pompeii. 1968.

Lararium painting from east wall of kitchen. 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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Niche, on east wall in south-east corner of atrium.

 

I.12.9 Pompeii. December 2007. Niches on east wall in south-east corner of atrium.

 

I.12.9 Pompeii. 1968.

Lower niche on east wall and window on 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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Niche in north-west corner of atrium, or tablinum area.

 

I.12.9 Pompeii. December 2007. Niche in north-west corner of atrium, or tablinum area.

According to PPP, it was the tablinum that had the niches on its west wall.

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1981. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 1. Rome: ICCD. (p.176, 112090503).

According to PPM, “Tablinum, west wall decorated with black zoccolo below a black painted middle zone…….

The arched niche was probably used as a Lararium”.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici.II. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p. 790, no.12).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.288, no.C3)

 

I.12.11 Pompeii.

Painting, south wall, south-west and south-east corner of kitchen.

 

I.12.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Kitchen hearth with lararium painting on the walls above, looking west.

 

I.12.11 Pompeii. March 2009.

Lararium painting in south-east corner and south wall in kitchen above hearth with traces of painted garlands.

 

I.12.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Kitchen, east wall and south-east corner, lararium painting with remains of painted garlands. 

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.154, no.27).

 

Niches, south wall of cubiculum.

 

I.12.11 Pompeii. December 2007. Room with two arched niches in south wall of cubiculum.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.288, no.C4)

 

I.12.11 Pompeii. 1968. Room with two niches. 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.12.12 Pompeii.

Niches, west wall of shop-room.

 

I.12.12 Pompeii. December 2018.

West wall of shop with niche, and window or second niche, and small wall feature in north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.12.12 Pompeii. December 2018. Detail of niche of lararium in west wall at south end. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.12.12 Pompeii. December 2018.

Detail of window or second niche in north-west corner of west wall. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.12.14 Pompeii.

 

Two niches, in north-east corner of horticultural plot.

 

I.12.14 Pompeii. 1972. Looking towards the north-east corner. 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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1.12.14 Pompeii. December 2007. Niches on north wall near north-east corner.

 

I.12.14 Pompeii. 1972. Two niches on north 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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I.12.15 Pompeii.

Painted niche on east wall of summer triclinium.

 

I.12.15 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 3, looking east into windowed triclinium.

 

I.12.15 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 5, east wall. Lararium, with niche, and the remains of faces on either side.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (L27, T:4,1).

 

I.12.16 Pompeii.

Painted niche, south wall of atrium.

 

I.12.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, south wall of atrium, with niche.

 

I.12.16 Pompeii. 1964. Room 1, south wall of atrium, with niche.  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.12.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, niche on south wall of atrium.

On the rear wall stands Bacchus wearing a red mantel and holding a Thyrsus.

Underneath is a painted brown serpent that appears to come from a real hole in the bottom left corner.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.260, L28, T:29,1).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.233, no.A3)

 

I.12.16 Pompeii. 1964. Room 1, niche on south wall of atrium. 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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Kuivalainen describes this as III Style –

“A youth stands on a simple dark terrain line against a white background. His weight is on his right foot and he wears boots and a long red cloak reaching the calves: in his right hand he probably holds a vessel, in his raised left hand a thyrsus with leaves. A panther sits on his left side, facing him. On the extreme left grows a vine, which forms an arch above the composition. On the vault there are red and orange flowers. Below is a lower zone with a huge slithering snake.”

Kuivalainen comments –

“A young half-naked Bacchus offering wine to a panther. A lone Bacchus in a lararium is a rare scene. Separate figurines were certainly added in front of the serpent.”

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, (p.114-15, C14).

 

I.13.2 Pompeii.

Two niches near north side of atrium.

 

I.13.2 Pompeii. July 2018.

Looking north in atrium towards entrance corridor, on left, and small room, left of centre, with niche in west wall.

In the centre is a niche/recess in pilaster of atrium, and room in north-east corner of atrium, on right. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

 

I.13.2 Pompeii. October 2019. Niche on west wall of small room, with doorway to entrance corridor, on right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

 

I.13.2 Pompeii. July 2018. Detail of niche/recess in pilaster on north-east side of atrium. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

 

Pseudo-aedicula lararium, south wall of summer triclinium.

 

I.13.2 Pompeii. March 2023.

Looking south across summer triclinium towards south wall with lararium niche. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

 

I.13.2 Pompeii. July 2018. South wall of garden with lararium. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

Giacobello describes this as “the pseudo aedicula was constructed with a square niche (h.0.38, width 0.40, deep 17.5), crowned with a plastered masonry pediment (h.0.35, width 0.41), with decorative elements in red.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.258, no.V18)

 

Small room, possibly used as a sacrarium/sacellum.

 

I.13.2 Pompeii. March 2023.

Looking south-east across summer triclinium towards doorway into small room which may have been a sacellum/sacrarium.

Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

 

I.13.2 Pompeii. March 2023.

North-west corner of small garden building. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

 

Painting and niche, north and east wall of kitchen.

 

I.13.2 Pompeii. March 2023. Looking north in kitchen with painted lararium in north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

 

I.13.2 Pompeii. July 2018. Detail of north-east corner of kitchen. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.261, L29, taf.28. 1 and 2).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.156, no.28)

 

I.13.4 Pompeii.

Painting and niche, west wall of garden area.

 

I.13.4 Pompeii. 1961.

Looking south across garden area, with niche in the west wall behind the garden and window at the south end. 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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See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.261, L30).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.259, no.V19)

 

I.13.5 Pompeii.

Niche in east wall of shop-room.

 

I.13.5 Pompeii. September 2015. East wall of shop.

 

I.13.5 Pompeii. December 2018. Niche in east wall. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.13.8 Pompeii.

Niche, west wall of kitchen.  (No photo).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.159, no.29)

 

Niche, north wall of atrium.  (No photo).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.233, no.A4)

 

I.13.9 Pompeii.

Niche, room 3.   (No photo).

According to Giacobello –

“A square niche internally plastered in white…… the room where the niche was located had a floor of cocciopesto and Fourth Style painting.”

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.289, no.C5)

 

I.13.11 Pompeii.

Painting and niche, west wall of atrium.

 

I.13.11 Pompeii. December 2004. Looking west across garden area.

Doorways to cubiculum on left, and oecus on the right, on west side of garden, with lararium niche between.

According to PPP, on the west wall between doorways was the lararium niche, with serpent, red flowers and red border, much decayed.

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1981. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 1. Rome: ICCD. (p.189)

According to Fröhlich and Giacobello, the rectangular niche was painted on its inside walls with red flowers, no longer conserved.

There may have been two statuettes found in this lararium, Hercules and Minerva.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.262, L31).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.233, no.A5)

According to PPM, the lower yellow zoccolo was divided into two panels by a vertical red band.

On the south end was a painted vignette showing two doves with cherries, and at the north end under the niche was the painted lararium showing two serpents approaching a central altar with eggs.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici. Vol.II. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana. (p.916).

 

I.13.11 Pompeii. 1968. Looking west to lararium niche on west side of the garden area.

On the right, at the rear is the lararium niche on the west wall of the atrium of I.13.12.

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.13.11 Pompeii. 1959. Lararium niche on west 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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I.13.12 Pompeii.

Rectangular niche in aedicula facade.

 

I.13.12 Pompeii. December 2018.

West side of atrium, doorway to cubiculum, lararium and ala. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

According to PPP, this niche and white wall were frescoed and had coloured mosaic in the tympanum.

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1981. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 1. Rome: ICCD. (p.190)

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.262, L32).

 

I.13.12 Pompeii. 1966.

Lararium on west side of atrium. 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.13.12 Pompeii. 1959.

Lararium on west side of atrium. 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.14.6 Pompeii.

Niche in west wall of shop.

 

I.14.6 Pompeii. December 2018. Detail of niche in west wall of shop. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.14.7 Pompeii.

Aedicula, south wall of garden.

 

I.14.7 Pompeii. December 2018.

Lararium against south wall of garden area. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.262, L33, taf. 5.1, and 6).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.159, no.30)

 

Niche, west wall of room 8, triclinium.

 

I.14.7 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking towards niche lararium in west wall of garden area, and niche in west wall of triclinium. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.14.7 Pompeii. December 2018. Windowed triclinium, west wall with arched niche. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.14.7 Pompeii. December 2018.

Detail of arched niche on west wall of windowed triclinium. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

According to Giacobello, this arched niche was painted with white stucco.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.289, no.C6)

 

Niche, west wall of garden area.

 

I.14.7 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking towards niche lararium in west wall of garden area, and niche in west wall of triclinium. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.14.7 Pompeii. December 2018. Niche lararium on west wall of garden area. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.259, no.V20)

Niche lararium with painting of a god in a long white robe lying on a couch. 

The right hand holds a branch and the left holds a patera. 

To the right is a golden candelabrum. 

At the front is a three-legged table with a bowl of fruit. Above is a garland.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.263, L34, T:29,3)

 

I.15.1 Pompeii.

Pseudo-aedicula lararium, south wall in entrance corridor.

 

I.15.1 Pompeii. July 2021. Niche on east wall of entrance corridor.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

Giacobello describes this as a pseudo-aedicula lararium.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.230, no.F3)

 

 

I.15.3 Pompeii.

 

Niche on west wall of garden/vineyard area.

 

I.15.3 Pompeii. May 2024. West wall of garden/vineyard, with niche near north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

 

I.15.3 Pompeii. May 2024.

Detail of niche in west wall of garden/vineyard near north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

 

 

I.16.2 Pompeii.

Niche, north wall of room 9.  (No photo).

 

According to Giacobello –

this was an arched niche (h 0.34. w 0.32, depth 0.22, height from the ground 0.68) with traces of plaster coating. The decoration in the house, still hardly investigated, dates back to the II Style.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.289, no.C7)

 

I.16.3 Pompeii.

Aedicula with paintings of a Genius and Minerva, north-west corner of atrium.

 

I.16.3 Pompeii. December 2006. Lararium on west side of atrium.

On the left is a painting of the Genius with cornucopia and an offering plate over a round altar round which a serpent is coils.

On the right is Minerva with shield and lance and an offering plate over a round altar.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.264, L35, taf.5.2-3).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.234, no.A6)

 

Viridarium (7), south wall, stucco relief of serpent moving towards an altar.

 

I.16.3 Pompeii. 1959. Looking towards south wall, east corner of small garden/pool.

The stucco relief serpent, with a small altar below the head of the serpent, can both be seen.

At the foot of the wall was a garden painting.  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.16.3 Pompeii. Viridarium 7. Stucco snake and altar on south wall.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.264, L35, taf.5.2-3).

Nel viridario (7), parete sud, è realizzato in stucco, rinforzato con chiodi, un serpente che striscia verso un'ara.

In the viridarium (7), on the south wall, made of stucco, reinforced with nails, is a serpent slithering towards an altar.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.234, no.A6)

 

I.16.4 Pompeii.

Aedicula with painting, north-west corner of atrium.

 

I.16.4 Pompeii. 1959.

Lararium, with detail of garden painting in the north-west corner of the atrium. 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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See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p.264, L36, taf.29.2).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.235, no.A7)

 

I.17.2-3 Pompeii.

Niche, east wall of atrium.  (No photo).

According to Giacobello –

“The arched niche (h 0.48, width, 0.42, depth 0.32, height from ground 1.68) was plastered in white and profiled in red, and equipped with a thick protruding masonry base. On the adjoining north wall was painted a purple crown hung with red ribbons.”

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.236, no.A8)

 

I.17.4 Pompeii.

Painting with niche, west wall of peristyle.

 

I.17.4 Pompeii. May 2006. Lararium niche on west wall of peristyle garden. 

A genius is making an offering at a round altar. A small camillus is to his left.

The side walls are painted with red flowers possibly roses.

On the yellow-coloured wall outside the niche, a colour trail is visible on the right, which perhaps belongs to a big snake.

A paint ridge above the niche may perhaps be interpreted as a garland.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern, L37, p. 264, taf. 9,1.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.260, no.V21)

 

I.17.4 Pompeii. May 2006. Lararium niche on west wall of peristyle garden. 

Genius, with patera in right hand and cornucopia in the left hand, is sacrificing at a round altar.  

A small child with a brocca or jug is on the left of the genius.

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1981. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 1. Rome: ICCD.  (p.204/5).

 

I.17.4 Pompeii. 1964.

Lararium niche on west wall of peristyle garden. 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.20.1 Pompeii.

 

Niche/recess, west wall of garden area

 

I.20.1 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking west across triclinium in garden area. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.20.1 Pompeii. December 2018. Niche/recess in west wall of garden area. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

Altar, north-east corner.

 

I.20.1 Pompeii. December 2006. Lararium altar in north-east corner.

 

 

I.21.3 Pompeii.

Niches, west wall of summer triclinium.

 

I.21.3 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking towards west wall with niches above triclinium. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.21.3 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking west across triclinium.

According to Jashemski, a masonry triclinium had been built against the west wall.

A table base was still buried in the lapilli between the couches of the triclinium.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p. 70)

 

I.21.3 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking towards west wall with niches. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

In the west wall above the triclinium were three niches. 

The larger of the two arched niches had a roof tile forming a shelf that reached out into the garden: this niche was undoubtedly a lararium. 

The smaller and lower of the two arched niches may have held a lamp.

The rectangular niche had the appearance of a window that had been only partially walled in.  It too may have held a lamp.  

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p. 70).

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni, (p.261, no.V22)

 

I.21.3 Pompeii. December 2018.

Detail of arched niche lararium. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.21.3 Pompeii. December 2018. Detail of niche with remaining painted decoration.  Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.21.5 Pompeii.

Niche in north wall of garden area.

 

I.21.5 Pompeii. December 2018.

North wall of garden area with niche decorated with painted flowers. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

I.21.5 Pompeii. September 2005. Niche in north wall of garden area.

 

Potential niche in upper west wall of tablinum.

 

I.21.5 Pompeii. December 2018. Upper west wall of tablinum, potentially a niche. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

 

 

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