Watch List notes:

Gracia Nasi (born in 1540 and niece of the Jewish philanthropist of the same name), bronze uniface medal, c. 1558, by Pastorino, her bust left, aged 18 and with her name written in Hebrew script, 62.5mm (Attwood 591; Arm. I, 202, 86; Currency of Fame 67), the reverse with very sharp incuse image of the obverse, very fine early cast. This is likely to be an early 17th century cast taken from an earlier medal (those in the BM and Paris have diameters measuring 66mm). The portrait was for some time thought to be that of the older Gracia Nasi but the age of the sitter and the period in which Pastorino worked prove it to be that of the niece. For the most recent article relating to this and other early medals of Jews see Nathanael Price "Medallic portraits of Jews in sixteenth-century Italy", The Medal, 72, Spring 2018. Provenance: Peter Ehrenthal collection (Moriah Galleries of Judaica, New York).
(400-600 GBP)