Garden Art in the British Villa

Fences, walls, and hedges
Frescos
Shrines
Statuary
Water features
Other ornaments

We know from research in other Roman gardens, especially in Pompeii, and from contemporary wall paintings showing villa gardens, that a wide variety of garden ornaments were enjoyed. This  fresco (below) from the House of the Golden Bracelet in Pompeii illustrates several examples of favorite garden art.

A garden and its ornaments, as seen in this fresco from
the House of the Golden Bracelet, Pompeii, which shows oscilli, a pinax,
urns, swags and, at the top, a basin or birdbath.
Larger image

Fresco, Villa Livia, Pompeii

Frescos - Much of what we know about villa gardens has been learned from the images found in early Roman frescos, pictures painted on freshly plastered walls. Frescos were popular on exterior as well as interior walls. One outdoor fresco, painted on the garden-facing wall of Fishbourne's west wing, showed a garden scene, using trompe l'oeil to make the central court seem even more spacious.

Trellis fencing - Fresco,Villa Livia, Pompeii

Trellises were used as fencing, as well as to support vines, espaliered trees, and other ornamental plants.

Wall - Fresco, Villa Livia, Pompeii

Walls and fences, often elaborate, surrounded gardens large and small.

Boxwood hedge,
Fishbourne Roman Villa, Britain

Plant borders were a popular structural element in Roman gardens. Evidence of two common hedge plants, yew and European box, have been found in Romano-British gardens, and the careful application of garden archaeology has been used to recreate of one of these hedges at Fishbourne. From literary evidence, we also know that the Roman gardens contained topiary.

Lararium - Shrine,
House of the Vettii, Pompeii

Lararia were shrines that honored the lares or gods of the household (shown here on either side of a matron) and the supernatural guardian of the household, often portrayed as a serpent.

Nymphaeum - Chedworth Villa, Britain

Nymphaea, shrines to nymphs or water deities, are found at several Romano-British villas. Three of the best known nymphaea can be seen at Chedworth, Lullingham, and Coventina's Well beside Hadrian's Wall. These shrines often had artwork showing water nymphs, such as the stela of Coventina, above; as well as fountains or pools, like the pool at Chedworth, at left.

Bust - Lullingstone Villa, Britain

Busts from Romano-British sites portray deities, emperors, and villa inhabitants. The bust at the left may be one such inhabitant; it was found at Lulllingstone Villa.

Popular Roman garden statue, crouching Venus

Garden statues showing gods, animals, athletes, politicians, philosophers, and even villa owners and their families, were common. Favorite garden deities were Venus, seen at left, Priapus, and various water deities.

A herm now in the
Capitoline Museum, Rome.

Herms were squared stone posts having the heads of a god. They are named for the god Hermes, who was originally the only god seen on them. Believed to promote luck and fertility, herms later showed a range of gods and people, and gardens often had several.

Some herms supported an additional ornament, a square painting on plaster or wood called a pinax, that was placed on top of the head. 

Herm statue - Fresco, House of the Golden Bracelet, Pompeii

Pinax - Fresco, House of the Golden Bracelet, Pompeii

Pinax might also appear by themselves, mounted on easels or a posts.

Term statue - Getty
Museum, USA

Term statues marked the boundaries of the garden;  these are from the Getty Museum garden, a recreation of the Villa Papiri in Pompeii.

Early Roman villas developed in a hot, dry Mediterranean climate, and so water features -- pools, fountains, basins -- were savored for the coolness and tranquility they provided. Even though the British climate was cooler and wetter, these features were common in Britain as well.

Basin fountain - Fresco,
Villa Livia, Pompeii

Fountains and basins such as these have been found in Romano-British villas.

Urn fountain - Fresco, Villa Farnesina, Rome

Water pipes - Fishbourne Roman Villa, Britain

Pipes, made of ceramic, wood, or lead, carried water to garden pools and fountains from central tanks. These pipes were unearthed at Fishbourne Roman Palace.

Birdbath - Fresco,
Villa Oplontis, Italy

Birdbaths are pictured in many garden frescos, and a basin that might have served this purpose was found at Fishbourne.

Oscilli - Fresco,
Villa of Golden Bracelet, Pompeii

Oscilli, brightly colored ornaments -- plaques with scenes, theatrical masks, masks portraying heroes or gods -- were suspended on chains from architraves and porticos. Designed to turn --  occilate -- gently in the wind, they were called oscilli.

Swag - Fresco, Villa of the Golden Bracelet, Pompeii