Blackened bronze medal commemorating the "Jewish Communities Act" in Italy, 1930.
AUCTION 76 |
Thursday, June 14th,
2018 at 3:00 PM
Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters, Ceremonial & Graphic Art
Lot 405
ITALIAN BRONZE MEDAL DESIGNED BY ARRIGO MINERBI
Blackened bronze medal commemorating the "Jewish Communities Act" in Italy, 1930.
1930
Est: $1,500 - $2,000
Italy’s "Jewish Communities Act," developed under the Mussolini government, standardized the legal status of the Jewish communities; regulated their activities, and stated that all those considered Jews by Jewish law automatically belonged to the community - (ironically, making it easier in later years to institute anti-Semitic laws).
“The medal symbolized, quite literally, two sides of the coin. It gave a message of peaceful coexistence between Jewish belonging and Italian patriotism. However when Mussolini suddenly launched a racial campaign in 1938, it came as a complete shock to Italian Jewry.” See S. Klein, Italy`s Jews from Emancipation to Fascism (2018) p. 84.