3-035-805 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Fragment of a Fresco Panel with a Meal Preparation, A.D. 1-79. Additional Info: In this scene of domestic activity, two men prepare the carcass of a small, cloven-hoofed animal, perhaps a calf or fawn. The figure on the right grasps the feet of the animal while the man on the left slices into the belly with a wooden-handled knife. To the right is a large vessel with a scalloped rim and handles in the shape of goats’ heads. The sheen and colour of the vessel indicate that it is made of silver. Vessels of this size and shape were used to dilute wine with water at dinner parties, suggesting that this scene relates to a festive occasion. Placed on a pillar to the left, a silver tray with a beaded edge and rounded handles holds garlic and other foodstuffs. A large wooden bowl rests on the floor. The bowl may be there to hold the cuts of meat sliced from the animal's body when the butchering is finished.