VI.14.39 Pompeii. Casa Lucrum Gaudium or Officina di tornitore.

Excavated 1876.

 

VI.14.39 Pompeii. December 2005.Entrance doorway.

According to Della Corte, found here in December 1878 were 15 iron chisels for working at a lathe, and two tools for working the wood on the lathe.

He came to the conclusion that this was a workshop of wood turners (faber tornator), and that the upper floor would have been the dwelling.

Written on the margin of the impluvium was the motto LVCRVM GAVDIVM.

 

He had two thoughts on the name of the person who lived here.

Firstly, a signet/seal was found here, of a citizen of an obscure family  – it read

Axi(us) Gun…… (Tornator)  [CIL X  8058, 7]  (S.9, with Note 4 – Della Corte had not known of another Axi at Pompeii until this one).

Secondly, found to the left of the entrance doorway was an electoral recommendation, this time of a distinct Pompeian family, a Clodio, although not known of which family.

Clodi fac  [CIL IV 3502] with Note 1: page 85).

The programme containing the name Clodi fac, was traced on the external wall, above the zoccolo that was at the height of 1.74m.  Also found was -

Sei copo, probe fecisti quod sella(m) commodasti    [CIL IV 3502] with  Note 2).

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.84 with notes 2 and 4)

 

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de), these read as –

 

Axi Gun()

/

Fe()      [CIL X  8058, 7] 

 

[H]ol[c]o<n=R>ium Priscum aed(ilem) Clodi fac(iat)

/

sei copo probe fecisti

quod sella commodasti      [CIL IV 3502]

 

 

VI.14.39 Pompeii. 1878. Drawing of graffiti on outside wall.

According to Presuhn, near the door to 39 on the outside wall was yellow painted plaster completely covered in scribblings.

He describes a dog, a student’s alphabet and under other inscriptions that of a slave, MODESTA TERMINALIS. All three are by different hands.

See Presuhn E., 1878. Pompeji: Die Neuesten Ausgrabungen  von 1874 bis 1878. Leipzig: Weigel. (V, Plate III, p. 6).

 

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this reads as

 

Modesta Terminans      [CIL IV 4549]

 

VI.14.39 Pompeii. December 2007.

Looking south-east across area of atrium and tablinum, towards small room on south side of tabinum.

 

VI.14.39 Pompeii. Casa Lucrum Gaudium or Officina di tornitore.

Looking south-east across atrium and tablinum, showing how it looked before bombing in 1943.

Old undated photograph courtesy of the Society of Antiquaries, Fox Collection.

 

VI.14.39 Pompeii. December 2004.

Looking east from entrance doorway, across atrium and tablinum to rear rooms and garden area.

According to Garcia y Garcia, the same bomb that damaged the previous house also brought down this one

It now appears completely ruined.

The dividing wall between VI.14.38 and 39 does not exist anymore.

Of the two staircases, one going up to the first floor, the other going down to the basement, no traces remain.

The IV Style painted plaster also perished.

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.93-4, incl. photos by Tatiana Warscher)

 

According to Jashemski, the small garden (approximately the top green area on the left of the above photo) had a narrow portico.

This portico on the north was supported by two columns and an engaged column.

The terrace, or loggia, was on the east side. The exedra was at the eastern rear side of the terrace, and overlooked the garden.

Both the terrace and exedra were 0.95m above the garden and could be reached by four steps.

The steps on the left (north) led to a basement area.

Another roof covered the terrace and steps.

There was a terracotta puteal near the two columns in the garden.

Also found near the south wall was a circular basin of grey marble, supported by a cylindrical foot of cipolin.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.151)

 

According to Schefold, a painting of Cyparissus being aimed at by cupid, was found in room i, an exedra.

See Schefold, K., 1962. Vergessenes Pompeji. Bern: Francke. (p.73, Pl. 54, 3)

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: Giannini. (p. 28, no. 110).

 

VI.14.39 Pompeii. December 2004. Remains of impluvium in atrium with mosaic.

Written on the margin of the impluvium was the motto LVCRVM GAVDIVM.

According to Cooley, this translated as – “Profit, joy”    [CIL X 875]

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii : A Sourcebook. London : Routledge. (p.169)

 

VI.14.39 Pompeii. Casa Lucrum Gaudium or Officina di tornitore. Impluvium. 

Old undated photograph courtesy of the Society of Antiquaries, Fox Collection.

 

VI.14.39 Pompeii. 1878. Drawing of Lucrum Gaudium impluvium mosaic.

See Presuhn E., 1878. Pompeji: Die Neuesten Ausgrabungen  von 1874 bis 1878. Leipzig: Weigel. (V, plate V).

 

VI.14.39 in foreground, looking north into rear rooms, taken from VI.14.22. December 2007.

These may have originally have been underground rooms, kitchen and wine cellar, before the bombing.

In the background is a room at the east of the peristyle, a room at rear of VI.14.38. 

According to Boyce, on the east wall of the subterranean kitchen was a lararium painting in two zones.

The upper zone contained a sacrificial scene with the Genius on the right of an altar.

On the left was a Camillus, wreathed and wearing a short, girded tunic.

On each side of this group stood a wreathed Lar, carrying rhyton and situla.

In the lower zone, to the right of an altar furnished with an egg, was a red serpent with large crest and beard.

Behind the serpent, at the extreme right of the painting, was a jar.

On the left of the altar some other indistinguishable object, seems to have replaced the second serpent.

Across the top of the upper zone was stretched a garland, and in the background between the figures were painted plants.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.53, no. 206)

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: (p. 13, no.28)

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico.  Milano: LED Edizioni,

(p.179 for a description of the lararium, no longer conserved in the underground kitchen, due to the house being badly damaged in 1943 bombing)

 

VI.14.39 Pompeii.

Looking west across area on cork model in Naples Archaeological Museum.