IX.2.26 Pompeii. House of M. Casellius Marcellus. Excavated 1869.

IX.2.26  Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance

IX.2.26 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance.

IX.2.26 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking south through the tablinum to garden area.

IX.2.26 Pompeii. Lararium situated at south end of east wall of corridor leading to atrium. 

Old undated photograph from Fox collection. Courtesy of Society of Antiquaries.

IX.2.26 Pompeii. March 2009. 

Lararium in atrium, on east side of corridor from entrance.

IX.2.26 Pompeii. March 2009. Remains of Lararium.

According to Boyce, the high podium was coated with red stucco and on the front was painted a cylindrical altar with offerings.

Two yellowish serpents coiled around the altar, raising their heads to the offerings, one from each side.

Around the top of the podium ran a heavy cornice adorned with a red frieze of stucco, above it two columns.

These columns with capitals and bases supported an architrave with a design of scallops and a cornice with triple band, all done in coloured stucco.

The back wall was decorated with shrubs and birds painted on a yellow background, the side walls were painted as red and yellow imitation marble.

On the exterior of each side wall were a hippogriff (a mythical beast half griffin and half horse) and two dolphins.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p. 82, Pl. 34, 3.)

IX.2.26  Pompeii. March 2009. South side (front) of Lararium.

IX.2.26  Pompeii. March 2009. Front of Lararium. 

A painted altar is just about visible in the centre but the 2 serpents creeping towards it are faded.

IX.2.26  Pompeii. March 2009. West side of base of Lararium.