Plaque with the portraits of Roman emperors c. 1749

Editor: This is a porcelain plaque created around 1749 by Ginori, featuring portraits of Roman Emperors. It feels incredibly intricate, like a family tree sculpted in sugar. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: The delightful confectionary aspect grabs me too, almost too sweet to be serious, yet it’s immortalising emperors! I wonder if the artist saw the irony? Baroque excess meets the cool precision of porcelain. The pastel palette seems to whisper rather than shout about power, doesn't it? Tell me, does that green background feel grounded, or unsettling against the gold trim? Editor: Unsettling is the perfect word! It's not the solemn, grounding colour you’d expect for Roman Emperors. More like something you'd see on a fancy cake. Did Ginori make other pieces in this style? Curator: Oh, absolutely. Ginori loved a good porcelain tableau! They often drew inspiration from classical themes, though this slightly off-kilter treatment of Roman authority is… well, charmingly subversive, perhaps? Consider, this was the Enlightenment; traditions were being questioned, authority reassessed. Could this be Ginori’s wink at the established order? Editor: So maybe it’s not just decorative, but also making a sly comment. I wouldn't have seen that! I was stuck on how pretty it is. Curator: Exactly! Beauty can be deceptive. And sometimes, the most potent critiques are sugar-coated. Makes you think about what other historical portrayals we see and just accept doesn't it? Editor: Definitely, I'll never look at porcelain the same way again!