Ivory, bone, terracotta, glazed pottery

The collection of ivory and bone objects consists of about three thousand examples, almost exclusively of Vesuvian origin, dating between the late Hellenistic period and 79 AD. The same room also contains several exhibits of glazed terracotta, a technique of Egyptian origin which was extremely widespread in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

History and formationThe collection of ivory and bone objects, almost exclusively of Vesuvian origin and in particular from Pompeii and only in rare cases from Herculaneum, consists of about three thousand examples dating from the late Hellenistic period to 79 AD. In the early Hellenistic period, ivory was used to make cult statues and the rich furnishings which frequently accompanied official ceremonies. Following the Roman conquests in Africa and Asia and through commercial relations with the Greek world, ivory began to be used on a larger scale for high quality objects, while less important objects were made of bone. RouteThe cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were also affected by the phenomenon of large-scale production of objects in ivory and bone. The statuettes of the most venerated deities, especially Venus and Hercules, which were placed in the lararium - the shrine to the household gods -, and ornamental statuettes of a wide range of different figures were made of ivory; so too were the even more numerous furnishings used for the decoration of furniture, such as plaques which were carved in relief or drilled, knobs and figurative appliqués carved in high relief. There are various articles of women’s toiletries made of ivory or bone: hairpins, combs (the comb from house IX, 5, 18 in Pompeii is of significantly high quality, and is decorated with two engraved and painted peacocks) and small pyxidia containing cosmetics prepared and applied using spatulas or small spoons. Other objects, such as mirrors and small knives, sometimes had handles in worked ivory. The objects on display also include tesserae, rectangular or variously shaped plates sometimes incised with a name or number, or sometimes with just a number, used as gaming pieces. Gaming dice and astragals are made of bone and occasionally ivory; they were made from the astragali (knucklebones) of certain animals and were used for a game similar to the one with dice already familiar in the Greek world. The few exemplars that come from sites other than the Vesuvian ones generally come from the Phlegrean area and consist mainly of personal objects found in funerary contexts during nineteenth century excavations, such as the splendid jewellery case from Cuma. The same room also contains displays of objects in glazed pottery - an extremely ancient technique – which can be distinguished, according to the chemical composition of the coating, in alkaline glaze and lead glaze. The first type, which is of Egyptian origin and was widespread in the Hellenistic period, was used in Roman times to make small vessels, mainly of globular form with a low foot and flat rim; a particularly striking example is the one-handled glass with a frieze of imaginary animals inspired by oriental designs. The second type, also used in Egypt during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, was also popular in the Vesuvian cities, as can be seen by the items on display: large oil lamps, small cups, skyphoidi and kantharoi with ring-shaped handles and belly decorated with plant motifs from the Hellenistic tradition and derived from silver prototypes, statuettes modified into containers with a spout and inserted handle; these statuettes were made for ornamental purposes, such as the one in the form of a crocodile, the personification of the god Sobek or Suchos, or the one shaped like a frog from the Casa delle Nozze d’argento (V, 2, 1). These objects were used as garden ornaments as waterworks which followed the Egyptianising style that had spread during the first century AD amongst a sophisticated clientele who wanted their gardens or impluvia to have a Nilotic appearance. Other subjects were also inspired by the Egyptian world and can be found in many paintings of the Imperial period, such as the god Ptah-pateco, the main deity of Memphis, and the dwarf Bes, generally depicted with a large bearded face, enormous eyes, pointed ears, a sticking-out tongue, bow-legs, and a crown of ostrich feathers on his head, extremely widespread and popular due to his apotropaic qualities.