Herculaneum Ins. Orientalis I.1. Casa della Gemma or House of the Gem.
Excavated 1934-35.
According to Maiuri, this house was named after the discovery of a gem engraved with a female head of the Claudian period, which was found in it. In the Etruscan atrium, with magnificent decoration in black and red, finely executed and forming a harmonious whole, there is the unusual arrangement of walls reinforced by pilasters for the support of the roof and of a prostylon near the tablinum, which here opens upon a cubiculum at the rear and upon a terrace originally closed by pilasters and windows. On the right of the atrium a curved passageway leads to the kitchen and the latrine. The light and airy, well-preserved kitchen opens upon a small terrace.
On the wall of the latrine, an irreverent servant recorded the visit made there by a famous physician: Apollinaris medicus Titi imperatoris hic c….. bene.
At the end of the atrium are a vestibule and a corridor (a black mosaic with white bands) which leads to a large apartment and other airy, luminous rooms of the terrace-quarters. The great mosaic square with a fine geometrical design imitating the textile art of carpet-making that decorates the flooring of the noble and airy apartment used as a triclinium and drawing-room is worthy of examination. The two rooms (alcove and anteroom) to the left of the corridor were also finely decorated.
There are to be glimpsed the rooms of the cellar-floor of the house. The great external uncovered loggia has here also two rooms for repose from which to delight in the view, despoiled of their decoration.
See Maiuri, Amedeo, (1977). Herculaneum. 7th English ed, of Guide books to the Museums Galleries and Monuments of Italy, No.53 (p.64).
NB.1. Maiuri also wrote that – in the kitchen – on the fireplace there is a kettle and another cylindrical vessel for boiling water, which must have been inserted into the stove found on the same spot. (Probably in 1936, possibly not anymore)
NB.2. Presumably “the rooms of the cellar-floor of the house”, are now Ins. Oriental I.1a, the House of M. Pilius Primigenius Granianus.
Deiss wrote that apparently the house itself, amongst its much larger and more pretentious neighbours, was a little gem. In any case, the owner unquestionably moved in the highest Roman circles, as a sardonic graffito proved. In the latrine, the earthiness of Roman humour was to be seen. Still scribbled on the wall was the sentence - Apollinaris medicus Titi imperatoris hic cacavit bene. Worth recalling is the fact that Titus became emperor only a month before the eruption of Vesuvius. Was the jolly Dr. Apollinaris also caught in the eruption? In the latrine …. ?
See Deiss, J.J. 1968. Herculaneum: a city returns to the sun. UK, The History Book Club, (p.44).
According to Guidobaldi, the rooms 1 – 5 are rooms located at the sides of the atrium, a rustic quarters with latrine (17) and kitchen (18), and the garden (15) in which was found a marble sundial still in situ, and finally the group of rooms of the accommodation and reception (6-10) lined up on the loggia 16, now only just about evident, overlooking the sea and framed at the extremities by the daytime bedrooms 11 and 12.
See Guidobaldi, M.P, 2009: Ercolano, guida agli scavi. Naples, Electa Napoli, (p.41).
Cardo V Inferiore, Herculaneum, September 2015.
Looking north on Cardo V, towards doorway to Ins. Orientalis I.2, from House of the Gem, on right.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking south towards entrance doorway.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2020.
Looking south-east towards entrance doorway, centre right. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking towards north wall of room on north side of entrance doorway.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2022.
Looking north-east towards east wall of room with doorway to atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2023.
Looking south-east across room on north side of entrance doorway towards doorway into atrium.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, March 2014.
Looking south-east across room on north side of entrance doorway, on right, towards doorway to atrium.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, August 2013.
Looking south across room on north side of entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, September 2021.
Looking east along entrance corridor towards compluvium and impluvium in atrium.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2023.
Looking east along mosaic floor in entrance corridor from doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins.
Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, May 2005.
Looking
east across impluvium in atrium. Only one corner of the impluvium remains,
covered at the edge with a fine marble cornice.
The
flooring in the atrium was made from black tesserae mosaic with a simple white
tesserae pattern. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins.
Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, May 2005. Looking north across impluvium in atrium. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking east along entrance corridor from doorway.
Foto Annette Haug,
ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
Ins.
Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, June 2017.
Looking east along entrance corridor from doorway. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking east along entrance corridor towards atrium.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2023.
North wall of entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, September 2015. North wall of entrance corridor.
On the left, in the north wall of the room, is a small cabinet carved into the wall, coated with planks of carbonised wood which closed in the cupboard, and now protected by a modern glass display case, formed during the excavation directed by Amadeo Maiuri.
See Camardo, D, and Notomista, M, eds. (2017). Ercolano: 1927-1961. L’impresa archeologico di Amedeo Maiuri e l’esperimento della citta museo. Rome, L’Erma di Bretschneider, (p.260, Scheda 42).
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2023.
South wall of entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, September 2015. South wall of entrance corridor.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking towards rooms on south side of entrance corridor.
At the rear of the curved wall in the south-east corner of the room is a corridor leading to the latrine and kitchen.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum. Kitchen and Latrine. Photo by kind permission of Prof. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill.
See Wallace-Hadrill, A. (2011). Herculaneum, Past and Future. London, Frances Lincoln Ltd., (p.246)
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum. Looking towards latrine. Photo by kind permission of Prof. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill.
See Wallace-Hadrill, A. (2011). Herculaneum, Past and Future. London, Frances Lincoln Ltd., (p.294)
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum. October 2022. Looking into room on south side of entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking into room on south side of entrance corridor.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, August 2013.
Doorway to atrium in east wall with remains of three masonry steps, which would have been topped by a wooden ladder leading to the upper rooms.
Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, August 2013.
Room on south side of entrance corridor, curved south-east corner and south wall. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking east from entrance corridor towards impluvium in atrium.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, August 2013. Looking east from entrance corridor towards atrium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2012. Looking east from entrance corridor towards atrium. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2020.
Looking east from entrance corridor towards north side of atrium and north-east corner.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2022.
West end of north side of the atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, September 2015. West end of north side of the atrium.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, August 2013. Looking towards north side of atrium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, August 2013. Looking towards north wall in atrium and north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2023.
North wall and north-east corner of atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, September
2021.
Looking east from entrance corridor towards north-east corner of atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, August 2013.
Looking towards north-east side of atrium, with doorway into room 5. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1,
Herculaneum, October 2023.
Column on north-east
side of impluvium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1,
Herculaneum, October 2023.
Column on south-east
side of impluvium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2012.
Looking across impluvium towards column on east side of atrium and onto garden. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2023.
Looking
towards south-east corner and south wall of atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus
Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, October 2022.
Looking towards remains of painted decoration on south wall of atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, August 2013.
Looking towards remains of painted decoration on south wall of atrium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, September 2015. Detail from painted south wall of atrium.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum. 2001.
Atrium before conservation work. Photo by kind permission of Prof. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill.
See Wallace-Hadrill, A. (2011). Herculaneum, Past and Future. London, Frances Lincoln Ltd., (p.319).
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, August 2013. Looking east across atrium towards garden area at rear. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum.
Two monochrome paintings on small slabs of marble were found together in the peristyle, 9th November 1934.
Painting on marble of Hercules and the Hydra.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 152901.
See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 118, 13a.
According to Guidobaldi (2006), these may have been found in the atrium of the House of Telephus Relief, Ins. Or I, 2.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum.
Two monochrome paintings on small slabs of marble were found together in the peristyle, on 9th November 1934.
Painting on marble of a sphynx, but in a bad state of conservation.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 152902.
See Sampaolo V. and Bragantini I., Eds, 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Electa: Verona, p. 118, 13b.
According to Guidobaldi (2006), these may have been found in the atrium of the House of Telephus Relief, Ins. Or. I, 2.
Ins. Orientalis I.1, Herculaneum, 1975. Cradle or crib. 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.
J75f0700
According to Deiss a cradle was found in the House of the Gem, but as originally this cradle was linked to the House of M. Pilius Primigenius Granianus, it is probably the same one and over time the location has become muddled. This photo may or may not even be of the same carbonized wooden cradle.
Deiss said, (talking about the House of the Gem) –
“The rooms were notable for their decoration before being stripped by the Bourbons. A superior mosaic floor of geometric design somehow was overlooked in the dining room. Also missed was a cradle containing an infant’s bones – though it seems incredible that a baby could have been abandoned to the mud”.
See Deiss, J.J. (1968). Herculaneum, a city returns to the sun. London, The History Book Club, (p.44).
