Catalog (323)

Based on an original, almost impossible to find Margot de Taxco design, the repousse "swans-in-a-row" bracelet I am presenting here is wrought in fine, .980 silver and is a little masterpiece. I think suggesting that "A.E.M", whose initials can be found on it, was a maestro who worked for the Los Castillo and/or Margot de Taxco is not a far-fetched hypothesis. Not only is this piece very close to Margot's creation, it is also extremely well made, very sculptural and has crisp, rich detail to it....

Based on one of William Spratling's most classic, early designs this Mexican Deco silver and amethyst ring is an anonymous beauty from the same period the renowned designer was active. Lean and mean in its constitutive motifs, it nevertheless packs a powerful visual punch what with the mysterious depths of its cloudy cabochon and the curves of the beading on either side of the stone. Classic and classy indeed the ring is currently a sz 6 US (yet easily re-sized by your jeweler) with its face mea...

Bearing the signature of Pedro Castillo this bracelet is, for me, a fusion of classic Taxco "arhaeological" as well as modernist elements. The overlay is immaculately crafted - one would never expect less from a Castillo - and the design lends itself to several readings. Is it a stylized butterfly? Two human forms positioned sideways, mirroring each other? An elaboration on ancient Mesoamerican motifs with a mod twist? Be that as it may, the bracelet has an intense visual presence that is only e...

Not much is known - if anything at all - about Ars Plata whose signature is found on the Mexican silver and amethyst dangle earrings at hand. Bille Hougart lists an "Art Plat." in his book on Mexican silver hallmarks but I am not sure the two workshops / retailers (?) are the same. This lack of information is part of the field's reality yet it is always exciting to find a name not often encountered. Especially if it is stamped on beautifully made, slick jewelry like this set ever so reminiscent ...

Beautifully aged sterling silver and warmly glowing copper combine effortlessly in this Los Castillo chevron brooch. I am very partial to the mixed metals jewelry that came out of Taxco and the renowned workshop excelled in their production. This specific piece with its arrow shape I find very interesting visually - just note the way the curves of the silver beads are juxtaposed to the intense forcefulness of the angular motifs. The brooch is 2 1/4" long by 3/4" wide and weighs 19.7 grams. It is...

Matching the brooch of the same design that it also available here (you can see the two pieces together in one of the photos here) this Los Castillo Mexican silver and copper ring is a rather rare find and I am happy to have come upon it. Weaving together the two metals in a chevron / arrow pattern, it is additionally embellished with tiny little sterling beads and has a visually interesting shank as well. And even though it seems to have left the workshop without having been stamped with the pr...

Perfect for the black turtlenecks and heavy coats of winter this vintage Mexican Deco silver and turquoise bird of paradise brooch is a stupendous work of art! Not only does its sheer size stun the eye, its layered sculpturality and curvaceous repoussage invites the touch and allows the light to play a thousand tricks hiding in its recesses and reflecting off its elevations. I was always a big fan of brooches and my focus on Mexican jewelry has rewarded me a myriad times over the years with amaz...

An elaborate sterling silver knot hanging off a classic repousse semi-sphere takes center-stage in this set of vintage Mexican dangle earrings by renowned Taxco maestro Pedro Castillo. I love Pedro Castillo's work for its complexity and layering and the modernist twist it adds to motifs derived from Mexico's rich cultural past. And even though these beauties are of medium length, they do pack a strong visual punch with their strategically applied oxidation and the warm patina they have developed...

I always preface Jose Luis Flores's jewelry by saying that, in my opinion, he was one of the most talented Taxco maestros during the town's heyday. His creations are usually modernist re-interpretations of ancient Meso-american motifs, always dynamic and quite often magnificently layered. The set of dangle earrings I am presenting here, though two-dimensional except for the repousse semi-spheres, impart a strong sense of fluidity and motion with their ribbon-like design twisting and turning in l...

A glorious emulation of Spratling's "Aztec Sun" design, the early Mexican Deco silver and amethyst cuff at hand combines repoussage and overlay with cleverly applied oxidation that adds more depth and drama to an already stunning bracelet. This is a generously proportioned piece so if you always craved a cuff like it but couldn't find one to fit, don't miss this opportunity. If its rich purple stones, the deeply chased repousse and appliques and those daring slender silver rays bursting out of t...

I know and admire maestro C. Molina's work for its superb craftsmanship and its monumentality but I was still not prepared for this set of stupedying dangle earrings! There is big, there is massive and then, there is the pair of shadowbox stunners I am presenting here tonight. Maestro Molina excelled in the application of the shadowbox technique which allowed him to create jewelry which are generous in proportions and convey a dramatic sense of depth while at the same time being light and easy t...

A smashing duo in the index of mid-20th century Mexican jewelry design, Cecilia and Tono have created some of the most amazing pieces. More often than not their creations are re-interpretations of ancient motifs with a modernist twist and adaptations of old techniques and materials to fit their contemporary vision. In the long chain necklace presented here hefty sterling links lend their mod geometry to silver spheres and rich azur-malachite beads that have been cut in emulation of ancient bi-co...

Distinctly Egyptian Revival in its inspiration, the set of Mexican Deco dangle earrings at hand reminds me very much of elements in Margot de Taxco's "Cleopatra" parure; more specifically, the feathers of the "vulture crown" the pharaoh is wearing. More stylized in our case they are here involved in an elaborate knot forming sculptural dangles that hang off the sweetest repousse rosettes. I admit that I have never encountered this specific design before and would also like to draw your attention...

Very evocative of the Arts and Crafts style but most probably made in the 1940s, this elegant sterling silver ring is adorned with a pearlescent purple moonglow lucite “stone”. This type of luxurious plastic was very popular in the 1940s and extensively used in the world of costume jewelry so I think it’s an exciting surprise to find a sterling ring set with it. Please note the detail in the layers of leaves that form the shoulders, the tiny lozenges and linear designs enhancing the bezel....

Four figural links featuring classic Italian monuments and city symbols adorn this long, Renaissance Revival silver chain. This is the style associated with the Peruzzi and Coppini Bros workshops of Florence and based on the quality of the castings, I would suggest that it was made by either one of them. The figural links are complemented by floral ones while perfect sodalite beads add their strong color to the necklace. Long enough to be doubled-up as a choker, it can easily be enjoyed at its f...

Bearing the signature of maestro Barrera this carefully made figural brooch depicts a richly clad person, most probably a nobleman or priest, with hands forming a very distinct gesture as if he takes part in a ritual or is performing a dance. Barrera , I suspect, worked in Mexico City, and created some impressive jewelry in the style associated with it. In the brooch at hand attention has been paid to every little detail that emphasizes the figure's high standing in society, their importance exp...

Possibly the most "surrealist" early Mexican Deco "mask" brooch I have ever had, this piece is the source of so many questions for me. What is it exactly that it depicts with its "portrait" surrounded by an elaborate headdress, the two arms emanating right from its top with no actual body present? And what is the "mask" itself made of? It registers as a stone in my gem-tester but I am not sure if it is onyx or a different type of opaque, black stone. I find myself in one of those instances in wh...

It's been a while since I offered a vintage Italian silver cimaruta necklace but today I hope to prove the wait worth-while with this gorgeous set from the first decades of the 20th c.. An ancient talisman associated with Southern Italy, the cimaruta was used to protect against the evil eye and in our days, it has been re-invigorated as a powerful wiccan symbol. Signed by a contemporary to the Peruzzi and Coppini Bros Italian maker whom I haven't been able to identify, the pendant has eye-catchi...