Pompeii, Its Life and Art

by August Mau

Fig. 159.—Longitudinal section of the house of the Vettii, restored.
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• Colonnade (l).
• Large Room (q).
• Garden with fountains and sculptures (m).
• Peristyle.
• Colonnade (l).
• Ala (i).
• Impluvium.
• Atrium.
• Money chest.
• Door of side atrium.
• Fauces (b).
• Vestibule (a).

Fig. 160.—Transverse section of the house of the Vettii, restored, showing the two peristyles.
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• Small peristyle (s).
• End of small dining room.
• End of dining room (p).
• Colonnade.
• Window in right ala (i).
• Openings into the atrium.
• Large peristyle.
• End of dining room (n).
• Door of room (o).
• Colonnade

In each corner of the colonnade is a round fountain basin (indicated on the plan), at each side an oblong basin, all of marble. Jets fell into them from statuettes standing on pedestals beside the columns; there were two figures for each side basin, one each for those at the corners. The two statuettes at the inner end of the colonnade ([Fig. 162]) are of bronze; they represent a boy with a duck, from the bill of which the water spurted. The rest are of marble, and not of special interest. Among them are a Bacchus and two satyrs. The water pipes were so well preserved that it has been found possible to place them in repair, and they are now ready for use. There were also two fountains in the garden.