POMPEIANA de William Gell (éd. de 1832)

Plate L - Fountain of the fullonica

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The fullonica, though a place of considerable size, has, except the cisterns for washing and dyeing, little that is worthy of remark. Plate L represents a fountain, at an angle in the court of this edifice, different from those yet observed either in the streets or private houses. It is placed between two square piers, and consists in an elegantly shaped tazza, supported by a fluted pedestal like those commonly used for ancient circular tables, and is of white marble. From the piers two projections are seen, painted red and ornamented with plants and birds.

These projections serve to conceal certain pipes which spouted water into the basin. The figure upon the pilaster, too small to be clearly represented in this view, is of Venus. On the other pilaster is a river god. On the other side of one of these piers were two curious pictures, representing parts of the process which was carried on in the fullonica.