156 Field Museum of Natural History — Anth., Vol. VII. 



ment of such a decoration may be obtained from a wall of the Casa 

 della seconda Fontana di Musaico in Pompeii, illustrated in plate CXXX. 1 

 In this it will be seen that the architectural prospects at either side 

 of the middle panel of the principal surface correspond to such pieces 

 as No. 24651, the leaf -framed compartments at the sides of the upper 

 part to Nos. 24652, 24655, while the still higher compartments with a 

 goat or deer in the center are analogous to No. 24653. The small, 

 oblong, red-framed compartments at the sides of the right and left 

 panels of the principal surface bear some resemblance to No. 24650, 

 which is shown by the yellow background outside of the frame to be 

 from the central portion of the wall — assuming that it is from the 

 triclinium. The same division is said in the above mentioned Report 

 to have contained 'flying monsters,' which may probably be identi- 

 fied with the androsphinxes, Nos. 24646-24649, also with yellow ground. 

 A suggestion for the position of No. 24654 is contained in a Pompeian 

 decorated wall 2 of the Fourth Style, in which a very similar picture 

 is placed at the bottom of the upper division, just beneath a com- 

 partment similar to Nos. 24652, 24655. No. 24661 is perhaps from 

 the upper division, or possibly from the ceiling. 3 The large pieces 

 Nos. 24671, 24673 are probably from the central division of the walls 

 from which they were taken. 



Owing to the fact that the pieces are encased in permanent frames 

 it has not been possible to make a thorough examination of the plaster 

 underneath the surface or to ascertain just how closely the ancient 

 prescription of three coats of plaster and two or three of stucco 4 was 

 followed. So far as the interior of the pieces could be observed in places 

 where the surface is cracked or detached, the plaster is coarse and 

 gritty except near the surface, where a finer coating of the same color 

 was added to receive the paint. This is the only 'stucco' to be seen. 

 The thickness of the pieces appears to be about three inches, 5 except 

 No. 24673, the only one accurately measured, 6 which is five inches deep 

 from front to back. 



The technique employed in the application of the paint is very 

 probably true or 'real' fresco. 7 



1 After Zahn, Die schoensten Ornamenle, etc. Vol. ii, plate 95. 



2 Zahn, Die schoensten Ornamenle, etc. Vol. iii, plate 96. 



3 Cf. Villa of Diomedes, Zahn, op. cit. Vol. i, plate 67. 

 * Pliny, Nat. Hist, xxxvi, 176. Vitruvius, vii, 3, 6. 



6 Cf. Mau-Kelsey, Pompeii (2d ed.), p. 456. 

 «Cf. p. 181. 



7 Cf. Donner in Helbig, Wandgemdlde der v. Vesuv verschiiltelen Slddte Campaniens, p. i. 



