Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-06-19
Extraordinary Discovery at cumae.

Tho following is from letter in the Lon
don Atte,. o''ni dated Naples, March %,
1856
At the commencement of our artistic sea-
son, informed you that the excavations at
Cume had been resumed. Since then great
lumber of tombs have been opened, and
variety of objects discovered, which, if not
of high antiquarian value, possess much in
terest, and would add greatly to the value of
any transalpine museum. Some articles,
however, of importance. have been brought
to light-one Of which l mentioned to you !;
and now another has been discovered, which
cannot fail to awaken very lively sensation
"a Cume lady's toilet exposed. 1t sounds
as modern and as easy as the arrival Of the
book of Paris fashions in Naples. Yet, such
an object has been discovered and, what is
more, | have seen it, and handled it, where
it now lies, in the palace of Ii. r. H., the
Count of Syracuse. 1t was found, says Sig
nor Fiorelli, in the tomb of Roman family.
In archaeological language, it would be called
nartheleon,, or box Of wood and ivory,
containing the nau'dus muliebris of Roman
lady, with various objects belonging to her.
When first brought to light, the wood was
IOuuQ 10 O6 TeuuCeQ 10 pOHQeI- LldL Inc
ornaments Of ivory, the bronze book with its
KEY, and all those objects which are inclosed
therein, were dismounted and mingled to-
gether F; and the greatest care was requisite
to guard against their being destroyed. H.
r. II. gave orders for the restoration of this
precious monument; which has been admit
rably executed under the direction Of Signor
Fiorelli.
The objects which were found in the case
were mirror of bronze, with its ueca Chat
is its case) covered with leather, aud fur
nished with small bronze handles two fab
ul@ of gold, elegantly worked in gold, togeth-
or with gold ring there was also a small
box made of bone, in which was kept the
vermillion with which the Roman ladies were
accustomed to tinge their cheeks two hair
pins of bone au ivory comb, bone spindle,
and other small objects also Of bone, and OF
uncertain use. OF late we have not met with
any thing which brings the past so closely
and so Familiarity before our eyes the lady
| has Just disrobed, she has laid aside her Jew
elry, and has retired to repose. must, how
ever, state, that Roman lady's dressing case
is not altogether new to archaeology. One
was found in Rome in l724, and was des-
cribed by Visconti, in the hagazin Encyclope-
diqus, 2me Ann, vol. /, p. 357. Brettiger
also spoke OF one in the first scene of his
Sabine on the toilet of Roman lady, a woi k
of much merit, written in German and trans
lated into French in 1913. The Count OF
Syracuse, however, is the only person who
has had the qualification in later times of dis
covering such an archaeological prize. The
basso relievi on the front of the box repre-
sent four caryatides; two Of which-those
in the center-sustain the cornice with both
hands, whilst the two extreme figures have
one hand only uplifted, which is that which
corresponds to the exterior angle. The fig
ures on the left are female figures, whilst the
two figures on the right are Cupids /; indivis-
IDLE figures of the toilet of sex whose infiu-
ence is of all time and universal. In the
middle is an ivory ornament with a bronze
key. The lid is also ornamented with ivory
figures, and in the center is bronze key.
After having collected all these various
fragments, Signor +. adapted each one to
its proper place on an exterior of new wood,
which he took care should be Of the same
color as that Of the boxes painted on the walls
Of Pompeii This is dark yellow, but has
no admixture either Of oil, or glue, or gum,
and effects no change on the surface of wood
all the fbers of which ara visible In or
der that a restoration so difficult and impor-
SAINT should be as perfect as possible, SignOr
Giuseppe Abbate was employed to paint it.
This gentleman is known by his beautiful
limitations Of the Pompeii walls, in the Crys-
tai Palace at Sydenham. The interesting
monument which have described is in the
palace Of H. r. H. the Count Of Syracuse
at once a record and reward of hi. arch
sloaieal taste and devotion"