A temple of Isis existed in Pompeii from the late Samnitic period, and it was promptly restored after the earthquake that severely damaged the city during the principate of Nero. In the final years of Pompeii, Egyptian cults and imagery also had a significant presence in private contexts. In particular, scholars have identified three types of materials and contexts related to Egypt in the private buildings of Pompeii: first, household shrines probably used for domestic worship; second, the broad category known as the ‘landscapes of Egypt,’ which encompasses both painted gardens populated with Egyptianizing objects and vibrant depictions of the River Nile teeming with exotic animals and pygmies. This article discusses the function and meaning of these contexts in light of three case studies: the houses of the Gilded Cupids (VI 16, 7.38), the Fruit Orchard (I 9, 5), and the Ephebe (I 7, 10-12.19). These are the only three houses in which black glass mirrors have been found. This material, along with the colours and subjects of painted and sculptural decorations, contributed to the creation of environments designed to weave together multiple dimensions of sensory experience and embody ideas of collection and control of places, substances, animals, and people.
The Sense of Egypt: The Materials and Landscape of Otherness in the Houses of Pompeii
Anguissola
2024-01-01
Abstract
A temple of Isis existed in Pompeii from the late Samnitic period, and it was promptly restored after the earthquake that severely damaged the city during the principate of Nero. In the final years of Pompeii, Egyptian cults and imagery also had a significant presence in private contexts. In particular, scholars have identified three types of materials and contexts related to Egypt in the private buildings of Pompeii: first, household shrines probably used for domestic worship; second, the broad category known as the ‘landscapes of Egypt,’ which encompasses both painted gardens populated with Egyptianizing objects and vibrant depictions of the River Nile teeming with exotic animals and pygmies. This article discusses the function and meaning of these contexts in light of three case studies: the houses of the Gilded Cupids (VI 16, 7.38), the Fruit Orchard (I 9, 5), and the Ephebe (I 7, 10-12.19). These are the only three houses in which black glass mirrors have been found. This material, along with the colours and subjects of painted and sculptural decorations, contributed to the creation of environments designed to weave together multiple dimensions of sensory experience and embody ideas of collection and control of places, substances, animals, and people.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
