The House of the Faun

[endlessrarities]

Writers' Group tonight, so I'm going to devote tonight's post to some more gratuitous Roman stuff from Pompeii. 

It's the turn of the House of the Faun tonight, so called because it features a little bronze statue of a faun in its courtyard:-

The faun is a replica - the original is in Naples museum.  Also represented here by a replica is the famous 'Alexander' mosaic, which features Alexander the Great battling the Persian King Darius.  Here's the original, which again has been relocated to Naples Archaeological Museum:-


 

And a detail, just to show how impressive the workmanship is:-

 

Okay, so sometimes Roman art can be rather good!  I'd certainly have this one in my house!!

In case you're wondering if there's anything original left at the site, then I'm pleased to report that there are some in situ frescoes still remaining.  Like this one:-
 

 

There were several more mosaics recovered from this house which have also - yes, you've guessed it! - been now been removed to Naples Museum, and one of them is so wonderful that I'll have to feature it tomorrow! 

And now, I'd better go!!

Comments

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

It's a shame they're not in situ, but I'm guessing they'd deterioate rather quickly if they weren't in the museum?

What are you writing at the moment?

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's my usual WIP. Speculative fiction, involving Ancient Sparta and modern Wiltshire. It's complicated, it's difficult, though I think it's beginning to iron itself out now. But it's hard work...

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Stopped in to make sure I didn't miss a garden post. I did catch the lizard post this weekend. I love your most recent as well. You take me to the most amazing places.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I have the photos for the garden post, but I haven't uploaded them onto the computer yet. The limoncello tree paeony looks lovely, though the tulips are now flat...

[slysidonia.livejournal.com]

I am enjoying your post! I love classical Rome!

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Happy to oblige! There's lots more coming...

[technophobe1975.livejournal.com]

The amount of detail on the mosaic is amazing...

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

I love the eyes in that mosaic. And, funnily enough, there was a copy of the dancing faun in the lobby of the hotel I stayed in (I guess they're everywhere), so that was my best chance for a close up look at it.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I only spotted two - one in Pompeii, one in Naples Museum! The faun must be following you around.

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

And now I see why you were less than impressed with Neil Oliver's 'provincial' mosaic a few weeks back... Wow.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Though I am rather fond of the goofy wolf from one of the British villas. Looks like a four-year-old scribbled it, but it IS cute!

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Now -- do you think those chariot horses could pull iron-clad plows through heavy northern soils in that getup? I don't think so either.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

It'd be 'ard' work!!!

I'm racking my brains for when horses started being used for ploughing. I always thought the ox-plough was still dominant in the medieval period, as horses were just too much like high-maintenance animals.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I think it was around the 11th-12th centuries, around the time they also started breeding the bigger horses. The padded horse collar made it possible for the horse to put his formidable shoulders* into the job. I know the Limburg Bros show a horse being used for harrowing in one of the calendar pages of the Tres Riches Heures, which is very early 15c. Here's an image:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Les_Tr%C3%A8s_Riches_Heures_du_duc_de_Berry_octobre_detail.jpg

Edit: Wikipedia is surely our friend for refreshing our memories on stuff like this, but I was pretty close:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horses_in_the_Middle_Ages#Agriculture

*Edit II: Wikipedia says hindquarters rather than shoulders, but I thought the point of the collar was that it would engage the shoulders instead of the neck.