Light was admitted to the dressing room through a window in the
lunette at the south end, closed by a pane of glass half an inch
thick, set in a bronze frame that turned on two pivots. On either side
of the window are huge Tritons in stucco relief, with vases on their
shoulders, surrounded by dolphins; underneath is a mask of Oceanus,
and in the same wall is a niche for a lamp, similar to that seen in
Fig. 92, blackened by the soot.
The frigidarium is well preserved. In all its arrangements it is
almost an exact counterpart of the one in the Stabian Baths, but the
scheme of decoration, suggestive of a garden, is less realistically
carried out, the ground being yellow; and the round window at the apex
of the domed ceiling has a rectangular extension toward the south in
order to admit as much sunlight as possible.
The tepidarium, as will be seen from our illustration (Fig. 92), is in
the condition of the tepidariums of the Stabian Baths before the
improved arrangements for heating were introduced. There were no warm
air chambers in the walls or the floor. At one end we see the remains
of the large bronze brazier and benches (the iron grating is modern)
presented by Vaccula, to which reference has already been made (p.
197). The feet of the benches are modelled to represent hoofs, each
with a cow's head above.
[Illustration: Fig. 93.--Longitudinal section of the men's caldarium.]
There are niches in the walls, as formerly in the tepidariums of the
Stabian Baths, but several of them for some reason have been walled
up. Wild-visaged, muscular Atlantes stand out in bold projection on
the front of the partitions between the niches, sustaining a cornice
upon their uplifted hands. The window, seen in the illustration above
the lamp niche, was closed, as that in the dressing room, by a pane of
glass in a bronze frame.
The decoration of the ceiling, unfortunately only in part preserved,
is well designed. Along the lower edge are arabesques, interwoven in a
scroll pattern, in white stucco on a white background. Above these are
panels of different sizes, in which raised white ornaments and figures
appear on a white, blue, or violet ground; among the motives are Cupid
leaning on his bow, Apollo riding on a griffin, Ganymede with the
eagle, and Cupids on sea horses.
The caldarium is well preserved; only a part of the vaulted ceiling
has been destroyed. The hollow space for hot air in the floor and
walls is indicated in our section (Fig. 93). Here we see at the right,
the bath basin, lined with white marble, with its sloping back
affording a comfortable support for the bathers; at the other end is
the apsidal niche (_schola_) with the labrum. The direction of
Vitruvius, that the labrum should be placed under a window in such a
way that the shadows of those standing around should not fall on it,
is here literally observed. There were three other small windows at
the same end of the room, and a niche for a lamp.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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