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House of the Cabinet Maker, Pompeii

Address: Regio I, Insula 10
Area: 309 square meters
Rooms: 8

The House of the Cabinet Maker (Casa del Fabbro, also known as the House of the Smith or House of the Craftsman, and formally the domus and officina of M. Volusius Iuvencus and the Equitia) is Pompeii Regio I, Insula 10, entrance 7. It is a modest but remarkably well-documented Roman domus of approximately 309 square meters on the ground floor, with clear evidence of an upper story. Located along the narrow Vicolo del Menandro (just south of the larger House of Menander), the house was excavated in phases between 1914, 1927, and 1933. Its modern name derives from the extensive set of carpentry tools, wooden veneers (lamine), and high-quality furniture remains found throughout, strongly suggesting it belonged to a faber arcarius—a maker of chests, cabinets, and fine furniture—rather than a simple blacksmith.
The architecture is typical of a compact, middle-class Pompeian domus from the late Republican to early Imperial period (with significant post-62 CE earthquake renovations), combining residential spaces with a small attached workshop (officina). It features an attenuated, somewhat cramped layout—narrower than many grander atrium houses—adapted for practical use in a dense urban insula. Walls are primarily opus incertum (irregular stone rubble) later plastered and decorated; floors include simple cocciopesto or beaten earth in service areas and more refined surfaces in living rooms. The house shows evidence of upper-floor additions and raised thresholds, likely repairs after seismic damage.

Location and Historical Context

Situated in Regio I, Insula 10, entrance 7, on the north side of Vicolo del Menandro in Pompeii's eastern district, the House of the Cabinet Maker lies near the Great Theatre and Amphitheatre, in a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood. This location reflects its middle-class status, adjacent to more elite properties like the Casa del Menandro (I.10.4), from which it may have been rented. Dating to the late Republican or early Imperial period, the house underwent renovations after the 62 CE earthquake, as evidenced by recent decorations and artifacts. Excavations occurred in 1914 (initial), 1927-1929 (main phase under Amedeo Maiuri), and 1933 (completion), revealing a site rich in finds despite its size. The house likely served as both home and workshop for a craftsman, possibly a cabinet-maker or smith, with tools indicating recent activity. Two victims were discovered in 1933, providing material for modern DNA studies that challenge traditional interpretations of their relationships and identities. Hypotheses suggest it could have hosted early Christian gatherings, though this remains speculative based on space analysis.

Architecture

Overall Layout and Flow
The house follows a classic axial Roman domus plan but on a smaller, more utilitarian scale:

Entrance axis: Fauces (narrow entrance corridor) → Atrium (central light/well and reception hall) → Tablinum (formal reception room) → Rear garden/courtyard with north portico.
Side rooms branch off the west side of the fauces and atrium (primarily cubicula/bedrooms and service areas).
Rear service and garden areas include a kitchen, possible triclinium (dining room), and open porticoed space used partly for craftwork.
Upper floor: A series of 5–6 small rooms (some decorated in the Fourth Style) sat above the west side of the atrium and the oecus (Room 8). Access was via wooden stairs in Room 1 (passing over the latrine) and a masonry staircase leading to a walkway above the kitchen.

No grand peristyle colonnade exists; the rear “garden” is a compact courtyard with a single north portico, reflecting the house’s modest size and practical function.

Detailed Room-by-Room Architecture
Fauces (entrance corridor): Narrow passageway from Vicolo del Menandro leading south into the atrium. A doorstop remains in the flooring. Painted plaster survives on the east wall; a graffito (CIL IV 8364) near the entrance reads “Secundus greets his Prima…” (a personal touch unrelated to architecture but typical of Pompeian domestic life).
Room 1 (service room/latrine, west of fauces): Functional space with a latrine in the northwest corner, screened by a low masonry wall (south) and a timber partition (east, evidenced by an iron-lined posthole for a swivel door). This room housed the main wooden staircase to the upper floor, which passed directly over the latrine—a pragmatic, space-saving solution common in denser Pompeian houses.
Room 2 (cubiculum/bedroom, off south side of Room 1): Small sleeping chamber with a niche/recess in the southeast corner (possibly for a lamp or shrine) and a window overlooking the vicolo. Walls retain painted plaster, including a winged beast (flying creature) on the west wall.
Atrium (Room 3, central hall): The heart of the house, with a standard impluvium (shallow rainwater basin) and a marble table in the northeast corner positioned over a cistern mouth for water collection. Three wooden chests (including a beautifully panelled wardrobe/armarium with bronze studs on the upper panels and door-like framing below) were found along the southeast walls—preserved as imprints and fragments, with a reconstruction sketch available from excavation records. The atrium’s west side opens to multiple doorways (Rooms 4–6). It is relatively narrow, contributing to the “attenuated” feel of the overall plan.
Cubicula off the atrium (Rooms 4–6): Modest bedrooms with surviving painted decoration in the Third and Fourth Pompeian Styles—motifs include flying cupids, beasts, plants, and architectural elements. One room contained a collection of grondaia (terracotta rainwater spouts/antefixes) with lion-head designs, possibly stored or awaiting installation.
Tablinum (Room 7, formal reception room south of atrium): Opens directly south from the atrium toward the garden. A small wooden cabinet (filled with bronze cases and boxes) was suspended about a meter above the floor on the west wall. A doorway in the west wall leads into Room 8 (oecus). The tablinum provides the main visual and circulatory link between the public front of the house and the private rear garden.
Room 8 (oecus, possibly a larger reception or dining space): Notable for rich Fourth-Style decoration, including mythological scenes (e.g., Sacrifice of Sophonisba, garden frescoes) and a decorated ceiling. It sits adjacent to the tablinum and opens toward the rear areas.
Rear garden/courtyard and portico (Rooms 10–11): A compact open area with a north portico (colonnaded walkway) providing shade and circulation. The garden space shows signs of use for craftwork (consistent with the cabinet-maker hypothesis). A wooden triclinium imprint and pergola supports suggest outdoor dining or work. The portico leads to service rooms.
Kitchen (Room 11, off garden/portico): Contains a hearth and a lararium (household shrine) with frescoes of serpents, an altar, flowers, and plants—typical protective domestic cult imagery. A masonry staircase here gave access to the upper-floor walkway.
Triclinium (Room 9/12, dining room): Adjacent to the garden, with a lararium niche. It likely served formal meals overlooking the courtyard.
Upper floor rooms: Five or six small chambers, mostly Fourth Style (architectural and mythological motifs). Only partial upper walls survive near the street; the rest are known from traces and excavation notes. These would have provided additional sleeping or storage space.

Unique Architectural Insights
The house’s modest scale and integration of workshop elements (tools scattered in multiple rooms, furniture-making evidence) distinguish it from purely elite domus. The presence of finely crafted wooden furniture (chests, wardrobes) in situ—crushed but reconstructible—offers rare insight into how Roman cabinetry integrated with domestic architecture. The cramped atrium and efficient stair-over-latrine arrangement reflect practical urban constraints in Regio I.

Decorations and Art

Decorations blend Third Style (architectural illusions) in the lararium and Fourth Style on upper floors, creating depth in modest spaces:

Triclinium: North wall: Paris and Hermes on Mount Ida (faded). West wall: Daedalus and Icarus. East wall: Sacred landscape; lararium niche with two serpents, altar, flowers, plants.
Cubiculum: West wall: Flying beast, plant motifs; south wall: Flying cupid.

Upper rooms feature elaborate frescoes; overall, decorations reflect recent post-earthquake updates.

Artifacts and Inscriptions

Excavations yielded abundant practical items:
Furniture: Reconstructed armarium (wardrobe) with bronze studs; three wooden chests; small suspended cabinet with bronze cases.
Tools: Iron carpenter's set; medical tools in one room.
Jewelry and Statuettes: Gold chain with Isis Fortuna pendant (rudder, cornucopia); marble Hercules (0.43m high).
Coins: 26 silver denarii (104 sesterces) in cloth bag; 48 more in heap.
Other: Terracotta rainwater spouts (lion head); veneers, bone encrustations.

Inscriptions: Graffito CIL IV 8364 outside entrance: "Secundus greets his Prima... I beg you, lady, love me."
Human remains: Two victims in triclinium; DNA studies suggest unrelated Eastern Mediterranean origins.

Conclusion

The House of the Cabinet Maker offers a glimpse into Pompeii's artisan class, where functional craft spaces coexisted with cultural refinements like mythological art and household shrines. Its rich finds and modest scale highlight social diversity, preserved by volcanic ash and enriched by modern analyses.