Lararium V2 – 3D MODEL

A lararium served as a private shrine or chapel within a Roman household, typically a small room or niche dedicated to household deities. Positioned near the dining hearth or sometimes in the atrium or reception area of larger homes, it housed images of the lares and penates, the guardian spirits of the household. Daily rituals were performed by family members at the shrine to honor and protect these spirits, particularly the lares, often depicted as two young men dancing and holding drinking horns. These spirits were commonly represented by small bronze statuettes or painted images. Additionally, the genius, a fertility spirit, was among the guardian spirits venerated. The lares also represented the spirits of deceased family members, requiring daily acknowledgment and reverence from the lararium, from where they worked to ensure the family’s prosperity.