Bronze Medal by Jorio Vivarelli for the Mitchell Wolfson Jr. Collection, c.1984
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ID: 09-3068
Limited edition bronze art medal created in 1984 by Italian sculptor Jorio Vivarelli to commemorate the Mitchell Wolfson Jr. Collection of Decorative and Propaganda Arts in Miami, Florida. Struck by the historic Johnson Mint of Rome and housed in its original presentation case. Artist: Jorio Vivarelli (Italian, 1922–2008) Manufacturer: Johnson, Roma Material: Bronze Diameter: 70 mm Weight: 255 g Date: 1984 Edition: Numbered 1735 Provenance: Mitchell Wolfson Jr. Collection of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, Miami
Categories: 21st Century, Decorative Collectibles, Historical, Items, Numismatics, Tokens & Medals
This striking bronze art medal was issued in 1984 to celebrate the inauguration of the Mitchell Wolfson Jr. Collection of Decorative and Propaganda Arts in Miami, Florida — a museum dedicated to 20th-century design and political art.
Designed by Jorio Vivarelli (1922–2008), one of Italy’s foremost sculptors and medalists, the piece features his characteristic abstract relief style with geometric planes, stars, and rising forms symbolizing renewal and progress.
The obverse is inscribed “Decorative and Propaganda Arts Miami 1984 / Mitchell Wolfson Junior Collection.” The reverse bears Vivarelli’s engraved signature and the hallmark of Johnson, Roma, the prestigious Italian mint founded in 1836.
Accompanied by its original red case and printed literature, including background notes on both the artist and the occasion. Numbered 1735.
A fine collectible from a renowned collection bridging art, politics, and design history.
The Mitchell Wolfson Jr. Collection later became the Wolfsonian–FIU Museum, now part of Florida International University. Its focus on design as an expression of ideology and modernity makes this medal an important artifact from the early history of the institution.
Vivarelli’s medal design aligns with the late modernist aesthetic of the 1980s, blending symbolic abstraction with postwar optimism — a perfect reflection of Miami’s growing cultural identity at that time.
