Italian Plaster Coin Cast by Aurelio Mistruzzi, 1940s

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Plaster cast for coin is an artwork realized by aurelio mistruzzi, 1940s. Slightly damaged plaster. Written in latin not completely … Read more Plaster cast for coin is an artwork realized by aurelio mistruzzi, 1940s. Slightly damaged plaster. Written in latin not completely visible. 4 x 4 cm. Aurelio mistruzzi (villaorba, 7 february 1880 – rome, 25 december 1960) was an italian sculptor and medalist. Born in villaorba di basiliano in 1880, he attended the udine school of art at the courses of the sculptor de paoli. He then studied at the academy of venice and shortly after moved to milan to attend evening courses at the brera academy held by mazzucchelli and pellini, impressionist sculptors. He then approaches the realist ways of vela. In 1908, thanks to a scholarship, he was able to attend the school of medal art in rome. In 1914 he obtained the important commission for the sculptural decoration of the municipal palace of udine which he carried out in collaboration with raimondo d'aronco with monumental statuary groups dedicated to civil and political virtues (the victory of work, work, union and strength, venice and third italy, empire and patriarchate). He also dedicates himself to private commissions, in particular to funerary statuary. After the end of the first world war he was in charge of numerous war monuments for numerous locations in friuli, as well as sacred statuary such as for the basilica del santo in padua and some churches in rome. Since the early twenties of the twentieth century he has also assiduously dedicated himself to medal making and coinage. He signs the coins of pius xi and part of those of pius xii. His production of a civil and profane nature is also notable: the beautiful fontana delle rane in monza is worth mentioning. Among his last works is his monument to general trujillo in santo domingo (1957). He died in rome in 1960. In october 1943, together with his wife melania, he hid and saved lea polgar, a jewish girl from fiume. They had created a hiding place for her next to the fireplace, where the little girl spent all her time sewing with the constant fear that someone would discover her. She herself recalls in an interview: "i can only tell my little story as a child who, at 10 years old, was forced to leave my family, with a backpack on my shoulder with all my things and a few coins for the needs that could to show up. I was brought to this house and entered through that door. They were two very brave people. They were like grandparents. The teacher spoke little and when i arrived, without saying anything, he showed me a counter. He told me that when he nodded his head i should hide in there and not come out until he came to get me. Luckily there was never a need to open that trap door. In addition to being courageous, they were also very modest and generous. When i told them that i wanted to propose them to yad vashem they told me to forget it, that they hadn't done anything special. For them it was a normal thing, even if dangerous. In the end i decided to act and started my process. I also told lea, aurelio and melanie's daughter, and in the end, before i became too old, i succeeded." lea was not the only one to be saved from the concentration camps. Aurelio put his artistic skills at the service of human and civil commitment and together with his wife melania, saved several jews by falsifying their documents. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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