Una nuova “questione conviviale”: Il vaso e il suo doppio

Abstract

Th e starting point of this discussion are two identical bronze amphorae held in the storerooms of the Archaeological Museum of Naples which
were recently identifi ed as part of the original furnishings of the House of M. Lucretius on the Via Stabia in Pompeii. Th is pair of vases gives
rise to a more substantial analysis of the use of vase pairs in the Roman culture, in particular twin vessels for pouring liquids, amphorae and
jugs which were commonly present during Roman banqueting services. First, the Pompeian bronze jugs, which were found together in identical
couples, are mapped and analysed typologically, on the basis of S. Tassinari’s publication on Pompeian bronzes. Secondly, their symbolical
signifi cance and practical functions will be discussed. It is possible that these jugs were exhibited symmetrically on the cartibulum table in
the atrium on special occasions, together with the all the most prestigious argentum potorium of the house, echoing the axial and symmetrical
architecture of the domus itself. Hypothetically, they could also have been used in performative ways during the banquet in a specular serving
choreography, thus mirroring the symmetry of the triclinium setting.

Keywords: Pompeii – paried of vases – silverware – bronze vessels