Abstract - and rather chubby - fish wrought in sterling silver with overlay and oxidation hang off the earlobes with this set of abstract Mexican dangles signed by Sigi Pineda. I don't believe I had this specific design by the talented - and prolific - Taxco modernist before but I am very familiar with the line and definitely in love with it...
Usually referred to as irreverent and whimsical Hubert Harmon was a native of Illinois yet studied at the Parson's School of Design in Paris. In the 1940s, he and his wife Louise settled for a few years in Mexico where Hubert opened a workshop in Taxco and created some of the most interesting designs in the world of vintage Mexican silver jewelry. A lover of parties, poodles and all creatures winged and mythical, he seems to have found inspiration in the country's folk art as well...
I have had full-sized Mexican silver and stone "idol" pendant necklace before but none like this exquisite example I am presenting here. Beautifully carved and visually imposing, the pendant's onyx Aztec / Maya male figure is shown in what I believe might be a supplication position. Cross-hatched bracelets carved into the stone hug his wrists while a silver necklace and an impressive headdress are the only other adornments covering his naked body...
When it comes to classy Mexican jewelry, nobody can beat Margot de Taxco. Margot had that rare, innate ability to instinctively create elegant designs which defied the whims of fashion and remain as relevant today as they did when they first became available. The set of repousse earrings presented here is, I believe, a very good illustration of what I am trying to say. I have had pieces of her des...
A classic combination for Enrique Ledesma, the marrying of sterling and stone, makes this vintage Mexican bracelet an easily recognizable creation by the renowned Taxco modernist. The stone is here azur-malachite, I believe, with greens and browns predominant and the warmth of the silver casings adds a certain "inner glow" to it...
A rare design - in all my years of dealing in vintage Mexican silver jewelry I have never encountered another example - this generously sized Deco brooch is fun and most probably a conversation piece! I have had it for a while but I decided that the festive atmosphere in the weeks leading up to the holidays is the perfect time to present it. Whether you see it as a sparkling royal scepter or a glorified marching band baton, it conjures up bright, merry images of celebration and luxury...
A vintage sterling silver geometric bracelet designed by Gine Sommerfelt for J. Tostrup, Norway. Made up of eleven curved links. Sommerfelt worked at Tostrup until 1964 when she started her own workshop.
Measures 7 3/4" long and just under an 2 inches wide. Signed with the Tostrup logo, 925S, and the stylized GS for Gine Sommerfelt on the back. Hook clasp holds securely.
In very nice condition, has some minor surface scratches.
Fine, bold design...
In the style associated with Matilde Poulat the Mexican Deco sterling silver brooch presented here is big, bold and beautiful! Wrought en repoussage and embellished with hand-chasing feathers and beads surround three gorgeous turquoise cabochons in shades of blue and green. The brooch is open-backed like many of Matl’s early pieces and a pleasure to wear and to behold. It measures
2 3/4” wide by 1 7/8” tall and weighs 17.8 grams...
A classic design for Hector Aguilar, this bracelet is comprised of a series of heart-shaped links with deeply etched details neatly arranged between two lengths of thick, hand-made chain. A very imposing in its simplicity creation, it is nevertheless a hefty, quite serious piece of jewelry. It feels beguilingly “familiar” around the wrist and conforms to every movement effortlessly. A real pleasure to behold and to wear, a bracelet around which collections are built...
Maestro Rivera, known for his high quality creations in Matilde Poulat's "jeweled" style, is the silversmith signing this stunning Mexican Deco bracelet. Carefully wrought silver-work with beading, hand-hammering and twist-rope details is studded with pyramid- and emerald-cut amethysts as well as coral and turquoise little cabs...
Slick, a modernist dream-come-true, crafted with the highest quality of craftsmanship and studded with the most beautiful tiger's eye you have ever seen, this slick Mexican silver necklace was made in Taxco in the 1950s-60s...
Classic and classy this fab Los Castillo necklace will astonish you with the way it feels and looks once you have it on. An iconic Taxco piece with its cascading festoon links and its playful teardrop repousse dangles the design draws from Mexico's long Spanish Colonial tradition. Much heavier than the unsigned imitations that surface from time to time, it wears like a dream and has a very strong visual effect...
Made up of heavily “pitted” and oxidized beads, tubular links and a central medallion with asymmetrical dangles this Erika Hult de Corral Mexican silver necklace is an ode to modernism peppered with a touch of brutalism...
Maestro Velazquez is one of my favorite early Mexican silversmiths. Based on the hallmarks on his work, he was most probably based in Mexico City and his creations are almost always in the so-called Mexico City style of repousse. Very well made and carefully finished, this figural fish brooch is also characterized by a fun, cartoon-ish air that will put a smile on your face every day of the year. Measuring 2 1/4” tall by 1 3/8” wide it weighs 11.0 grams and is marked with maker’s signatu...
When Frederick W. Davis (1880-1961) designed this most unusual necklace he likely chose this ancient hand carved stone from his Pre-Columbian collection. The wearable length of the necklace is 20 inches. The pendant including cascabeles is 2 3/4" X 2". The small jade mask looks to be from the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan. When the artist placed the jade mask in onyx, he may have carved it to replicate the large ear adornments and necklace that priests of Teotihuacan wore. The necklace is ...
A truly spectacular sterling tufa cast ring with 14k gold saw tooth bezel set Carico Lake turquoise by Pala Mission-Cherokee jeweler and sculptor Larry Golsh. Many of his jewelry designs, such as this one, have been inspired by those of Hopi silversmith Charles Loloma. The ring is a size 6 and weighs 31 grams. The face of the ring measures 1 5/8" long. Fine original condition with no chips or cracks to the beauriful stone. Signed as shown. A remarkable work of art.
There are some pieces of jewelry that simply defy any effort to photograph them. And this stunning Taxco modernist sterling silver and blue spinel hinged bangle is one of them - a really tough one at that too! I have faced this challenge once before in the past and the “culprit” is available here as well, only that one is by Enrique Ledesma and adorned with color-change sapphires. Almost identical yet bearing a signature which I will suggest belongs to Miguel Melendez (the mark is very faint...
Stunning pair of heavy silver bangles inlaid with raw polished Baltic amber, total 184 grams of silver. These have spring loaded hinges so they do not require a clasp. Inner diameters are 18cm. These crafted in a Tibetan design made by Nepalese silversmiths for a more sophisticated market than tourist kitsch. Would sell individually at $400ea.