Location of the House (Ins V, 6-7) .. View of Cardo IV looking south, with the House of the Neptune Mosaic on the left side of the photograph. Plan of the House .. ..........,,,...Plan of the House .. Key: A. Shop B. Entrance C. Atrium D. Tablinum E. Triclinium Description North of the House of the Carbonised Furniture on Cardo IV is the House of the Neptune Mosaic. .. The owner of the house must also have owned the connecting wine shop (A) at No.6, which opens directly onto the street. .. The shop, in the centre of the photograph opposite (the entrance to the house is on the left), has survived almost intact and is the best preserved example of a shop in the region. .. .. The house itself has a straight forward layout. The entrance on Cardo IV (B) opens onto a large atrium (C), which has a marble lined impluvium (pictured right). In the lararium of the atrium were found two marble slabs painted with red lines, one of which bore the artist's signature: Alexander of Athens painted this. At the rear of the atrium there is a central tablinum (on the left of the photograph oposite) decorated in the fourth style and paved in opus sectile. The tablinum overlooks a beautifully decorated court to the rear with a triclinium, a nymphaeum and mosaic decoration on the walls. .. The carbonised wooden fittings are still in place (pictured above and left). There are shelves for amphorae, the balustrade of the balcony and, behind the counter, a partition with two grills. The shop, fitted with meticulous care, still has the wares on the counter and amphorae lined up on a shelf. Broad beans and chick peas were found in the large jars set in the masonry of the counter. .. .. On the far end wall of thecourt the nympheum is surmounted by the head of Silenus (above left) and two marble threatrical masks. .. The side and central niches are decorated with geometric and floral motifs and hunting scenes with dogs and deer composed of glass paste mosaics. .. .. The niche borders and ends are embellished with shell and mother of pearl designs. .. In the centre of the back wall of thecourt is the mosaic after which the house is named (left and above) showing Neptune and Amphitrite surrounded by a decorative motif. According to legend, Neptune saw Amphitrite dancing with the Nereids on the island of Naxos, carried her off, and married her. .. The upstairs rooms (now open to the street as the front wall collapsed during the earthquakes that accompanied the eruption) still bear some of their original frescoes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------