Plate faience Auxerre hot air balloon 19th century Former faience plate from Auxerre representing a hot air balloon beautifully decorated with colorful mosaics. In the basket, a man is waving. On both sides of the hot air balloon, it says: Sic itur ad astra. Sic itur ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "Thus one rises to the stars" or "Thus one reaches the stars." It is a quote from Virgil appearing in verse 641 of Book IX of the Aeneid. This phrase has often been taken as a motto: "Sic itur ad astra" was the motto given by Louis XVI in 1783 to the Montgolfier family, that of the two brothers Montgolfier who gave their name to the hot air balloon; The edge of the plate is decorated with a black border and flowers alternating two yellow pom-poms and three blue pom-poms and a wheel. Plate in good condition with a small chip and a crack. Dimension: 23cm Height: 3cm Keyword: Nevers plate, revolutionary faience Country of origin: France