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



part of the house, or, as has been suggested, 1 they may have been 

 taken from some other villa. 



The tubs are in a very good state of preservation, except for some 

 cracks which were rudely repaired before they entered the Museum. 

 They are covered with an oxidation of various shades of green and 

 iridescent blue. 



The body of each tub consists of five pieces of metal, that is, two 

 sides, two end-pieces and the bottom. 2 The sides and the end-pieces 

 are brazed together. Traces of the seams may be seen under the 

 oxidation, near the ends of the side pieces. The side and end pieces 

 are turned over at the top, and hammered so as to form flat rims, the 

 outer edges of which are turned under in a sort of roll. Through this 

 roll passes a heavy iron wire. The lower edge of side and end pieces 

 is turned under at right angles, thus forming a ledge upon which the 

 bottom rests, 3 protected from contact with the floor. Four handles, 

 two on each side, are riveted to the larger of the tubs (No. 24357). 



The shape is similar to that of modern tubs. The sides slant but 

 slightly outward. The ends have a more gradual slope, the greater 

 inclination from the perpendicular being in the tub with the handles. 

 The rims, which are wider at the ends than at the sides, are both bev- 

 eled at the inner edge, that of the smaller tub (No. 24356) at the outer 

 edge as well. 



The larger tub could be emptied by means of a small hole in one 

 end, near the bottom. 



The smaller tub is entirely destitute of ornament ; the other is plain 

 except for the handles. These consist each of two pieces, which are 

 cast separately, namely, the attachment and the ring or handle proper. 

 The former is a rounded plate with ears, through which pass rivets, 

 at either side above. The plate serves as a background for a lion's 

 mask, from the top of which rises a flat projection, which forms a 

 sort of elbow, the other end of which is riveted to the side of the tub. 

 The front of this elbow is represented as covered with hair parted 

 vertically in the middle, a somewhat loosely carried out suggestion 

 of a piece of a lion's skin. The mask has the mouth open with teeth 

 visible and tongue protruding. The eyeballs and lower lids are in- 

 dicated. The pupil is shown by a small indentation. Around the 

 face is a fringe of mane. The ring, which is large enough to slip over 

 the mask, but not over the plate, is channeled, except on the inside. 



The lions' masks, while excellent in design and technique, are 



1 Pasqui, /. c. 



J Pasqui, op. cit. col. 424, errs in saying that the tubs are made ' 'in un solo pezzo." 

 8 It may seem strange that the bottoms were not fastened in the same way as the sides and ends, 

 and it is possible that they are an ancient repair, but it is more likely that they are the original con- 

 struction, and that the folded edge was employed in order to secure greater sustaining power. 



