TyB
Arca (strongbox) with applied decoration
Arca (strongbox) with applied decoration
Roman, Oplontis, Villa B, 1st century AD Bronze, iron, silver, and copper
Inscription: Pythonymos, Pytheas, and Nikokrates, the workers of Herakleides, made [this]
Parco Archeologico di Pompei
SAP 85179
This strongbox, found in the peristyle of Villa B in Oplontis, is a wooden safe exquisitely decorated with inlay designs and applied figures. Strongboxes like this were often found areas of the house used for social purposes, especially the atrium, where guests would be impressed by the owner's wealth. They were also placed in the peristyle and private living areas of particularly prosperous people. When discovered, this safe contained more than two hundred coins, jewelry, and a seal ring. Its intricate locking system was so advanced that similar mechanisms continued to be used until the nineteenth century.
Arca (strongbox) with applied decoration
Arca (strongbox) with applied decoration
Roman, Oplontis, Villa B, 1st century AD Bronze, iron, silver, and copper
Inscription: Pythonymos, Pytheas, and Nikokrates, the workers of Herakleides, made [this]
Parco Archeologico di Pompei
SAP 85179
This strongbox, found in the peristyle of Villa B in Oplontis, is a wooden safe exquisitely decorated with inlay designs and applied figures. Strongboxes like this were often found areas of the house used for social purposes, especially the atrium, where guests would be impressed by the owner's wealth. They were also placed in the peristyle and private living areas of particularly prosperous people. When discovered, this safe contained more than two hundred coins, jewelry, and a seal ring. Its intricate locking system was so advanced that similar mechanisms continued to be used until the nineteenth century.