Vintage Mexican Silver » Mexican Silver Craft, History

Behind the scenes at Antiques Roadshow, and some vintage Taxco silver jewelry appraisals

I love vintage Mexican silver — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:36:35 +0000

While vintage Taxco silver jewelry hasn’t had much airtime on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow (see appraisal links below), it’s still fun to watch the program because, well, you just never know. Roadshow is one of the most popular programs on PBS and is without doubt the reason why so many other networks now offer programs that look at people’s “junk” to determine if any of it actually falls in the category of “treasure.”

It’s not often that the Antiques Roadshow “veil” is lifted, but recently Current.org published a must-read story that gives us a glimpse of the relationship between the appraisers and the show’s producing station, WBGH. Read Conflicting appraisals: Minutes on Roadshow are pay enough for some here.

Here are the links (each one opens in a new window) to vintage Taxco silver jewelry appraisals on Antiques Roadshow:

Margot de Taxco Jewelry, ca. 1955

Taxco Silver Necklace & Bracelet, ca. 1950

And check out this link to a collection of 20th-Century Antonio Pineda Gold Jewelry that one lucky lady inherited from her parents, who were friends of Pineda’s.

Behind the scenes at Antiques Roadshow, and some vintage Taxco silver jewelry appraisals originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on January 27, 2012. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This

Great gifts for collectors of vintage Mexican or 20th century silver

I love vintage Mexican silver — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:59:26 +0000

‘Tis the season, as they say, and if you are looking for a gift that any collector of vintage Mexican silver or 20th century or modern silver will appreciate, here are some books to consider (click on an image or a text link for more details. Be sure to use the code/link at the end of this post to save a few bucks.):

Margot Van Voorhies: The Art of Mexican Enamelwork
Margot Van Voorhies was an American in the mid-twentieth century who went to Taxco, Mexico, and established a jewelry design business best known for exquisite enamel work. This fascinating book relates the pains of her childhood and eventual refuge in Mexico, where she developed an artistic talent into the Margot de Taxco workshop, that employed hundreds of artisans, particularly including women. Her associations with Taxco silversmiths, who were taught by innovator William Spratling, became the springboard for her own development and success. Margot’s designs are distinctive, often based on spiral motifs inspired by vines and floral imagery. Glorious colored enamels in brilliant hues and original designs distinguish her work. Today, Margot Van Voorhies is considered one of the most productive silver artists in Taxco of the mid-20th century. Her legacy is featured here also, in the work of four contemporary artists who strive to create equally superior modern silver jewelry in Taxco.

The Little Book of Mexican Silver Trade and Hallmarks
The 2006 new and revised 2nd edition of the bestselling reference guide to identifying Mexican silver: Loaded with images and graphics of over 1500 marks of silver makers, designers, manufacturers and silver houses in Taxco and throughout Mexico. Eagle numbers from 1 through eagle 219. The book includes all the great ones, including William Spratling, Hector Aguilar, Los Castillo, Antonio Pineda, Sigi, Maricela, Salvador, Valentn Vidaurreta, Victoria, Fred Davis, Artemio Navarrete, Emma Melendez, Bernice Goodspeed, Maciel, Matl, Tane, Hubert Harmon, Chato, Margot and many, many others. The book is cross-referenced and indexed for quick and handy searches. The new edition reveals identities of many mystery marks and includes examples of marks not previously published. Special sections describing fake marks are included for prominent designers.

Mexican Silver: Modern Handwrought Jewelry & Metalwork
With a new section of makers marks and new photographs, here is the powerful story of the silver renaissance in Mexico from the 1920s to the present. The wealth of color photos showcases the incomparable beauty of jewelry, tableware, and art works in silver. Extensive research sheds new light on the life and art of William Spratling, Margot van Voorhies, Fred Davis, and Hubert Harmon, and on the artisans who worked for them, making this book the definitive study of Mexican silver jewelry and decorative objects.

Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda
Antonio Pineda (b. 1919) is renowned for translating design elements evocative of Mexico’s past into often-astounding modernist silver jewelry, sculpture, and tableware. Perhaps more than any of his talented counterparts, he has been able to abstract and refine, producing elegant, spare, and geometric works that evidence a profound respect for the wearer. Pineda was also instrumental in the formation of the Taxco School of silver design. The over two hundred remarkable Pineda objects illustrated in this volume reflect the artist’s intense imagination and quest for technical perfection. While focusing on Pineda’s art from the 1930s through the 1970s, author Gobi Stromberg also places his career and the development of the Taxco School in context. She considers how a particular set of historical, political, cultural, social, and economic factors facilitated meetings between Mexican and American artists, intellectuals, writers, Hollywood stars, and musicians; spawned the building of roads opening up remote Mexican villages to a growing influx of U.S. tourists and expatriates of every stripe; encouraged a focus upon Mexico’s glorious Pre-Columbian heritage and the legacy of its indigenous peoples; and promoted the development of a unique system of production in the workshops of Taxco that made innovation and experimentation paramount. Stromberg and contributing essayist Ana Elena Mallet have in fact managed to untangle and address the multiple strands of influence that together resulted in an unprecedented period in silver design and execution, Taxco’s Silver Age.

William Spratling and the Mexican Silver Renaissance: Maestros de Plata
William Spratling revolutionized silver jewellery design in Mexico. Arriving in Taxco in 1929, by 1940 he had over 100 silversmiths producing his enormously popular silver creations. Important figures of the North American literary and art establishment, among them John dos Passos, William Faulkner and Georgia O’Keeffe, purchased his designs and sang his praises. Out of Spratling’s workshop emerged many of Mexico’s finest silver designers, including Hector Aguilar, Antonio Castillo and his brothers Jorge and Justo, Salvador Teran and Antonio Pineda. Their stiking jewellery and hollow-ware in silver – often set with precious stones and pre-Columbian artefacts – are prized collectibles.

Cherished books make great gifts from the heart! Get $2 off $20 when you buy books, music, movies or video games at www.alibris.com and use the code ILOVEBOOKS at checkout. This code expires December 31, 2011.

Great gifts for collectors of vintage Mexican or 20th century silver originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on December 11, 2011. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This

Vintage Mexican silver pulsera de Coco bracelet, ring

I love vintage Mexican silver — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:13:05 +0000

In the mid-1930s Justo “Coco” Castillo created an amazing silver bracelet that William Spratling dubbed “Pulsera de Coco” or “Coco’s Bracelet.” Castillo was just a young silversmith in Spratling’s taller at the time. This signature style is highly desired by serious collectors of vintage silver jewelry from the early years of the Mexican silver renaissance.

The Pulsera de Coco bracelet is featured in Mexican Silver Jewelry Details by Leslie Pina, and a photograph of two of Spratling’s Pulsera de Coco bracelets is included in Mexican Silver Renaissance by Penny C. Morrill. More information and a photograph are also available at SpratlingSilver.com here.

If you are an afficionado of early Mexican silver jewelry looking to add a Pulsera de Coco bracelet or ring to your collection, here are two pieces from different top-rated eBay sellers that are currently offered for sale:

Vintage Mexican silver Pulsera de Coco bracelet

View the vintage Mexican silver Pulsera de Coco bracelet here.

Vintage Mexican silver Pulsera de Coco-style ring

Click here to see the vintage Mexican silver Pulsera de Coco ring.

Vintage Mexican silver pulsera de Coco bracelet, ring originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on November 9, 2011. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This

Obsidian and vintage Mexican silver jewelry

I love vintage Mexican silver — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:55:20 +0000

Obsidian, named after the Roman Obsius, is a sleek volcanic glass that occurs naturally. It is produced when lava from a volcano cools very quickly, resulting in minimum crystal growth. Given the geology of Mexico, it’s not surprising that obsidian deposits have been found there, and that pre-Columbian societies made extensive use of obsidian. They carved it, wore it, and made tools and weapons from it. Obsidian blades could cause serious, even lethal, injuries. It can be sharper than scalpels used by surgeons.

Black is the most common obsidian color, but it can be found in gray/silver, brown/gold, and, more rarely, red, blue, and green. Sometimes inclusions give obsidian a metallic sheen while other times internal crystallites create a snowflake effect. Mounted in silver jewelry, black obsidian can look really stunning. Here are some pieces of vintage Mexican silver jewelry that use obsidian to great effect:

Obsidian and vintage Mexican silver jewelry originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on November 6, 2011. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This

Those gemstones in your vintage Mexican silver jewelry…

I love vintage Mexican silver — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:00:31 +0000

According to Mineral Gallery: The Minerals of Mexico, “at least sixty minerals claim Mexico as their type locality, meaning that they were first found and described there. In addition to silver, many other metals have been mined from here including gold, copper, iron, molybdenum, lead, zinc, manganese, arsenic and tellurium.” Brush up on your knowledge of local gemstones in Mexico by visiting the Mineral Gallery here.

Amethyst is one of the best-known gemstones mined in Mexico. Here are some vintage Taxco silver pieces featuring amethyst that are currently offered on eBay:

Vintage Heavy sterling silver Taxco Mexico Clamp Cuff Bracelet amethyst 83 grams
US $219.50 (20 Bids)
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 13:00:05 PST
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Vintage old Taxco Mexico Sterling Silver Hand Made Amethyst Poison Ring signed
US $29.99 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 14:52:35 PST
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Vintage Modernist Taxco Sterling Silver and Amethyst Pin Brooch
US $29.95 (1 Bid)
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 16:06:59 PST
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Vintage Taxco silver and amethyst necklace/ bracelet - Valentine dream gift
US $425.00 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 17:25:45 PST
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Vintage Mexico Taxco Sterling Silver Amethyst POISON Ring OLD & UNIQUE
US $65.00 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 18:00:23 PST
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VINTAGE TAXCO SILVER AND AMETHYST EARRINGS
US $59.99 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 20:33:15 PST
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Those gemstones in your vintage Mexican silver jewelry… originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on October 30, 2011. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This

Jean Puiforcat: France + Mexico = extraordinary design

I love vintage Mexican silver — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:49:55 +0000

Jean Puiforcat (aliases: Jean Elisée Puiforcat; Jean Puiforçat) was born in Paris in 1897. He served in World War II and then worked as an apprentice and designer at his family’s firm of silversmiths. He also studied sculpture with Louis-Aimé Lejeune.

Puiforcat designed silver objects in the Art Deco style and used gilding, decoration in other materials (e.g. rosewood, ivory, onyx, lapis lazuli) and decorative bands of ribbing or reeding in his work. In 1929 he helped found the Union des Artistes Modernes. Most of Puiforcat’s designs were for tableware, but he also exhibited other forms of silver and sculpture.

When World War II began, Puiforcat left France and in 1941 settled in Mexico, where he opened a studio and exported his silver. In 1945 he returned to Paris, but died shortly after his return.

Puiforcat is considered to be one of the twentieth century’s great silver tableware designers. In Perfection: Jean E. Puiforcat’s Designs For Silver Gail S. Davidson notes that his works “appeal to the intellect as well as the senses.” Discussing Puiforcat’s work in Mexico, Davidson writes that Puiforcat “produced new models inspired by Mexican motifs and incoporating more flamboyant decorative details.”

[see Gail S. Davidson, “Perfection: Jean E. Puiforcat’s Designs for Silver,” The Magazine Antiques, vol. 163, pt. 1 (January 2003)] Read/download: Perfection: Jean E. Puiforcat’s Designs For Silver

Other resources:

Puiforcat (Paris)
Jean Puiforcat entry at answers.com
Search “Puiforcat” in the collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK)
A Silversmith of the Modern Age: Puiforcat
A Silversmith of the Modern Age, part 2

From time to time pieces created by Jean Puiforcat in Mexico are offered on eBay, and it is usually possible to find items he created in France.

PUIFORCAT Rare French Sterling Silver Tea/Coffee Spoons Set 6 pc
US $480.00
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 11:57:52 PST
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PUIFORCAT Rare French Sterling Silver Dessert Serving Set 3 pc
US $980.00
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 13:40:12 PST
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PUIFORCAT Rare French Sterling Silver Tea/Dessert Serving Set 19 pc
US $1,380.00
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 23:54:40 PST
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PUIFORCAT Rare French Sterling Silver Small Dessert Serving Fork 6 pc Set
US $560.00
Auction Ends: Monday Feb-06-2012 0:47:27 PST
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PUIFORCAT Rare French Sterling Silver Luncheon/Dessert Serving Set 18 pc
US $2,380.00
Auction Ends: Monday Feb-06-2012 2:25:37 PST
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Jean Puiforcat: France + Mexico = extraordinary design originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on September 24, 2011. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This

Exhibit examines Latin American jewelry past and present

I love vintage Mexican silver — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:09:00 +0000

Think Twice: New Latin American Jewelry, an exhibit at the Bellevue (Washington) Arts Museum, offers a glimpse of the history of jewelry in Latin America and a comprehensive view of its contemporary development, drawing attention to the unique and innovative ways in which visual artists and jewelry makers born or living in Latin America view and relate, through their work, to such a diverse continent.

Included are more than 130 works by 93 artists from 25 countries. The exhibit focuses on three themes: addressing the region’s past through work completed in the last half of the twentieth century, investigating the fusion of ethnic influences in the area, and delving into the continent’s ever-changing socio-political issues.

Artists such as Enrique Ledesma and William Spratling are among those who exemplify the work that helped shape the path of contemporary jewelry in Latin America and served as inspiration to later generations of jewelry artists.

The oldest piece on display is “Croissant” (1940), a silver necklace with a large rosewood pendant by William Spratling, who is credited with reviving the ancient silver craft in the Mexican mining town of Taxco. Spratling inspired generations of Mexican jewelers to create jewelry in non-European forms with a well-defined national identity. In contrast are the more contemporary pieces such as “Collar para el Coleccionista” (2009) by Costa Rican artist Julieta Odio.

The exhibit runs through October 16 at Bellevue Arts Museum. For information: (425) 519-0770 or www.bellevuearts.org.

Exhibit examines Latin American jewelry past and present originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on July 9, 2011. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This

Vintage Coro jewelry from Mexico

I love vintage Mexican silver — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:10:53 +0000

Vintage Coro jewelry from Mexico appeals to a variety of collectors, including those who collect Coro jewelry, those who collect jewelry produced by Hector Aguilar, and those who collect vintage Modernist jewelry.

During World War 2, metals were in very short supply in the U.S.A. Because silver was available in Mexico, a number of American jewelry companies worked with Mexican silversmiths to produce their jewelry. Coro, a New York firm and for many years the world’s largest manufacturer of fashion and costume jewelry, was one of them. For about seven years, beginning in 1943, Coro had a contract with Hector Aguilar to design and produce jewelry.

If you’re not familiar with vintage Coro jewelry made in Mexico, here are a few resources where you can learn more:

The Story of Coro
Coro images – unpatented designs
Coro ads and jewelry photographs
Coro Costume Jewelry
RCJ Jewelry Marks – Coro

Here is some of the vintage Mexican Coro jewelry currently offered for sale on eBay:

Vintage Gold Afghan Dog In Costume Jewelry Signed Coro Made in Mexico Brooch Pin
US $0.99 (1 Bid)
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-05-2012 13:21:03 PST
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VTG LARGE STERLING SILVER CORO MEXICO CALLA LILY PIN
US $100.00
Auction Ends: Saturday Feb-18-2012 16:32:28 PST
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Coro Made in Mexico Silver Two Flowers Pin
US $75.00
Auction Ends: Sunday Feb-19-2012 17:47:28 PST
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CORO MEXICO Sterling Silver BIRD Pin Brooch AGUILAR 40s
US $89.95
Auction Ends: Thursday Feb-23-2012 19:06:12 PST
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CORO TARASCO ZEZANGARI Las Pirecuas RCA Mexico Pressing
US $11.00
Auction Ends: Friday Feb-24-2012 15:59:14 PST
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Vintage Coro jewelry from Mexico originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on June 29, 2011. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This

Vintage Mexican silver for the modernist collector

I love vintage Mexican silver — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 19:41:13 +0000

The revival of Mexico’s silver industry and the prevailing aesthetic of modernism in the mid-twentieth century has proven to be a happy match for anyone who collects modern silver jewelry. Fortunately, there are quite a few online resources you can turn to if you want to learn more. Here are some of them:

SilverForum
Modernist Jewelry 1930-1960 by Marbeth Schon
Form & Function by Marbeth Schon
Modern Silver
Antique Jewelry University
RetroStart

Take a peek at some of the vintage modern Mexican silver on eBay:

Vintage Mexican silver for the modernist collector originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on June 25, 2011. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This

“We call it metales casados…”

I love vintage Mexican silver — Sat, 21 May 2011 21:43:39 +0000

The ancient art of combining metals in patterns was originally revived and refined in Taxco by Los Castillo, and their workshop was known far and wide for the quality of its work. Did you know that a presentation cigar box was made for President John F. Kennedy by Los Castillo using this technique? The box featured an Aztec tobacco god with his pipe. Wonder where that box is today…

“We call it metales casados, which in English means ‘married metals,” said the young craftsman, whose dark complexion, high cheekbones and square body betrayed his Aztec forebears. Standing in his little adobe shop in Taxco….he twirled a beautifully wrought tray of pure silver, so cleverly inlaid with patterns and figures of copper, bronze and black silver that a magnifying glass would not show a line of separation between the metals…

…”This sounds easy,” one of Los Castillo’s best artisans says, “but when you are inlaying many types of metal in a tray with large surface, it is the devil. It takes me three days to turn out even a small ash tray of metales casados.”

This craftsman spent months creating a huge silver tray with 14 Aztec figures in bronze, copper, silver and black silver–all inlaid at the surface of the tray so perfectly that no wave appears anywhere on it. You can run a needle tip across it without feeling a click as the point rides across the different inlays.”

- from ‘City of Silver’ by Michael Day, Popular Mechanics, June 1952

Here is a small sample of vintage Mexican metales casados items that are up for auction or sale:

VTG MEXICO MEXICAN STERLING SILVER METALES CASADOS PUZZLE NECKLACE & EARRINGS
US $138.23 (19 Bids)
Auction Ends: Monday Feb-06-2012 18:20:33 PST
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VINTAGE MEXICO MEXICAN STERLING SILVER METALES CASADOS PUZZLE BRACELET
US $46.50 (10 Bids)
Auction Ends: Monday Feb-06-2012 18:25:46 PST
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Vintage BROOCH Pin Pendant UNIQUE Enlay Metales Casados Mixed Married Metals
US $24.99 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 8:54:08 PST
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Vintage Sterling Metales Casados Aztec Brooch Pendant
US $98.10
Auction Ends: Thursday Feb-09-2012 12:58:29 PST
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Vintage Sterling Silver Bangle Metales Casados Mexico Mixed Metals NR!
US $24.99 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Thursday Feb-09-2012 17:31:49 PST
| Watch this Item

“We call it metales casados…” originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on May 21, 2011. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.Tweet This