Lararium

A. Karivieri & R. Forsell

Lararium or a niche built within the E wall of room r is constructed with bricks on the sides. The lower edge of the niche consists of a shelf built with two rooftiles and a brick between them. The niche was first covered by a Third Style decoration, which is preserved in the ceiling of the lararium: in the centre there is a hexagon and a standing figure in relief, flanked on both sides by a heraldic pair consisting of a sitting griffin facing possibly a siren, flanked by a segment of a circle, all in relief, with white ground, blue and red decoration (see photos). The lower part of the lararium is covered by a Fourth Style painting with yellow ground and a white decorative border (3 cm wide) is preserved in the upper part, horizontal on the sides and pendant in the centre.

The Fourth Style decoration is placed against and above the Third Style stucco decoration in the ceiling. The lower part of the lararium had a protruding shelf, built of stucco. Several layers of Unterputz are preserved on the shelf.

The lararium was made before the room was decorated in the Fourth Style, because it has preserved remains of Third Style stucco reliefs, and the new decoration follows a simpler style.

State of preservation
The wall-plaster is partly destroyed. The S part of the stucco ceiling is less well preserved than the N part. The central part of the painting in the back wall is missing.

MEASUREMENTS

Width: 75 cm. Height: 98 cm. Depth: 30 cm