Pl.: labra

A shallow basin elevated on a pedestal and containing water. The labrum is mainly found in the caldarium or sometimes in the apodyterium. Until the end of the 1^st century AD, it was usual to place the labrum in an apsidal recess (schola labri) to enable several bathers to gather around the washing basin. The water was supplied by a spout in the centre of the basin or by a spout in the wall behind the labrum. In some cases the water was heated. The diameter of the labrum varied from 1 m to 2.5 m. The Greek term is λουτήρ or λουτήριον.

Two labra.
L: fragment of a labrum found in situ during the excavations of the baths of Cosa (Allison Smith/Cosa excavations).
R: the labrum in the caldarium of the Forum Baths of Pompeii, still in its original location. Note the inscription mentioning that two magistrates had it installed for 5250 sesterces (Velvet, Wikimedia Commons; CC-BY-SA-3.0).