148. A pair of very rare Nevers plates from a series of the Roman emperors, circa 1680 Each decorated with a blue dash rim and thin band of ochre scrollwork framing a band of blue, manganese, and ochre grotesque ornament, the central roundel depicting a profile of a Roman Emperor, one facing sinister holding a baton (Vitellius), the other facing dexter (Caligula), with a Latin inscription in black script encircling the portraits, 20.8cm diam., (2) Provenance Formerly in the collection of Jules Desurmont; Formerly in the Musée des Arts décoratifs (Gift of Madame Desurmont); Formerly in the collection of Théodore Clainpanain. Exhibited Rétrospective de céramiques nivernaises, Nevers: Musée et chapelle Sainte-Marie, 1937 This pair of plates depicting the Roman Emperors Caligula and Vitellius are each accompanied by an inscription reading, for Caligula: "Cesar Caligula fils de Germanic et Agripine regna 3 ans iom [sic] cest [sic] abominable." [Emperor Caligula son of Germanicus and Agrippina reigned for three years, it is abominable.]" and for Vitellius: "Aule Vitellius Fils De Vitell. Homes. De. Bien. Et. De. Merite. qui. Auoist.Esté [sic]. [Aulus Vitellius son of Vitellius, Men of Good and Merit that were Just]." At the end of the 19th century, this pair belonged in the collection of Jules Desurmont (1863-1919), a textile magnate from the Tourcoing area in the Nord department of France. They were given at some point to the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris by his widow, and thence into the collection of Théodore Clainpanain, an archaeologist and collector of faience and pottery from Lille, whose collection has found its way into leading museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris.