A SET OF TWELVE ITALIAN BRONZE OVAL PLAQUES OF ROMAN EMPERORS LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY With two duplicate portraits each 10.5cm high Provenance: The Simon Neal Collection Small-scale reliefs after the antique were a popular souvenir of the Grand Tour and amongst the most sought after subjects were the so-called 'Twelve Caesars': Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. The present lot represents ten of these emperors and includes two duplicates. They appear to be well cast detailed examples, each within a relief cast border with lion masks and trophies and their backgrounds are carefully punched, which demonstrates the high level of workmanship involved in their production.