K. Palágyi Sylvia szerk.: Balácai Közlemények 2008/10. (Veszprém, 2008)

KIRCHHOF, ANITA: The decorative system and reconstruction of the red dining room at Baláca - A balácai vörös ebédlő dekorációs rendszere és rekonstrukciója

black border, and within this medallion with the still life scene is divided into three parts. The elaboration of three medallions from the House of the Ara Maxima in Pompeii is completely identical with that of the above-mentioned ones. In all the three medallions are present the black picture field border within the white astragalus border, the picture field was divided into a 2/3 to 1/3 proportion. And its seems as if the meals in the lower field would nearer to the spectator than the ones in the upper field. In one instance (No. 62) the tint of the lower, smaller picture field is darker than that of the upper one. Similarly to the Baláca specimens here the three medallions have red backgrounds. And in Pompeii, too, meals prepared for cooking are present on the pictures.

187 There is another similar medallion from Pompeii with a yellow background, its picture field is not divided into parts, though the bottom-line is present here, too. Within the picture field there is a small roe deer, corded, though still alive and an amphora.

188 The only difference is that the dimensions of the Baláca medallions are twice as large as those of the Pompeii ones. On the almost angular still life scenes from Boscoreale the picture field had been divided into parts in a similar way: within the lower field only one fruit is represented, which seems to be nearer to the spectator, as if in the foregound of the picture.

184 An almost common characteristic of the still life scenes found in the towns near the Vesuvius the presence of the white geometric border within which the picture field was encircled by a dark colour.

190 From Pannónia still life scenes are known from the territory of the legionary fortress in Aquincum,

m representing the gathered grape and harvested pears in qualus baskets. These scenes, however, belong rather to the representation of harvest and they originate from a later period, from the middle of the 3

rd century A.D. On the basis of the known fragments I discovered that the picture fields and the zones had been constructed with the multiplication of a same, single dimension. The standard was the width of the candelabrum (41,5 cm) which is almost identical with the one and a half Roman feet (44,4 cm). The dimension of the diameter of the medallions, (including the astragalus pattern), the 41-43 cm is also corresponds it. Furthermore the width of the middle red panel is around the treble of the width of the candelabrum or two and half of it, while the width of the two lateral red panels is equivalent with the width of two canderlabrums. Calculating on this basis also the length of the picture fields of the stucco has to be equivalent of the width of around a single candelabrum. Some major or minor differences may occur, due to hand colouring. On this basis we can calculate the height of the painted picture field by the construction of these proportions. According to this the height of the candelabrum and of the red panels was the equivalent of about four wide of candelabrums. The full hight of the painted stucco was 13 cm, which, presumably, was the same as that of the "dirt strip" of the dado, which has a thickness of about 10-15 cm. At present we know a 7,7 cm for it, the closing of it is still not visible.

192 The middle zone consisted of major red panels and wider, richly decorated candelabrums against a black background. The tripartition of the wall surface can be constructed on the basis of the fragments and proportions. The middle red panel was wider, therefore it was considered more emhasized then the two lateral ones. A similar division of the wall surface can be observed on the wall-paintings of the Fourth Pompeian Style.

193 The decoration of the red panels was given by the embroidery borders with different patterns. By a partial applying of the components of each other the embroidery borders prove that they belong to the same room, and with their variegated patterns and differring colours bring animation and move-