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March 2007 Collector's Corner |
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collection of jewelry is brought to us this month by collector Paulette
McKillop. Her collection of Mexican silver is a sampling from many of
the craftsmen who are highly revered by their understanding of the
medium and their willingness to experiment, leading these silversmiths
to extraordinary levels of creativity and sophistication in design and
technique.
Mexican hand-wrought silver is the physical evidence of the creative mind. The objects, although made to be sold in the marketplace, have provided opportunities for the artist to express what he/she envisioned, and this collection has it all: the marks of the cincel, the three-dimensionality of repoussé, the "painted" images in married metals or champlevé, and the elegance of carved obsidian with silver, and more. Thank you, Paulette, for sharing such a wonderful collection with us! |
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Victoria-Ana Nuñez Brilanti "Victoria" was the original name of the silver shop and the signature mark of Ana María Nuñez de Brilanti, a talented designer from Taxco who studied under William Spratling. Ana worked hard to perfect her technique with married metals, as is evidenced by the smooth appearance and invisible seams she achieved in her jewelry using silver, tin, nickel and copper. Ana emphasized, "What I really tried to achieve was to have the front identical to the back of the piece. It is not enough for the design to be attached to a backing of silver. That is a cheat. I wanted my designs to be exact." |
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Margot van Voorhies Carr Margot van Voorhies Carr arrived as an artist in Mexico City in 1937. Although she had a penchant for color and design, there was no record of her having any formal art training. In Mexico City, Margot met Antonio Castillo, who she eventually married and then moved to Taxco. In 1939, Antonio Castillo and Margot, along with his brothers & cousins, established the now famous "Los Castillo." During her ten years of marriage to Antonio, Margot developed motifs and techniques that were first used at Los Castillo and then later appeared in her own line of jewelry marked "Margot de Taxco." |
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Dámaso Gallegos Dámaso Gallegos was born c. 1890 in Ixcateopán, near Taxco. Dámaso studied with the famous Hector Aguilar and was also known to be close to Margot, Ana Brilanti, Enrique Ledesma, William Spratling, and Pedro Castillo. Dámaso's approach to the silver business had been presaged by the high level of production during the war, in that he was among the first in Taxco to produce and sell in quantity. Dámaso's workshop made floral pins, bracelets with Mexican scenes, silver hair clips, some flatware, and large pieces such as vases, bowls, and candlesticks. |
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Los Castillo The considerable talent of the designers and silversmiths at Los Castillo has brought well-deserved recognition and fame. The creativity, quality, and variety of the work produced by Los Castillo make it one of the largest and oldest workshops in Taxco. Its numerous designers are constantly experimenting with new materials and designs, ranging from Spanish colonial ornaments to turquoise inlays and simplified pre-Hispanic motifs. Originally established by Antonio Castillo after he had worked for William Spratling for many years, the tradition of excellence at Los Castillo is still carried on by his daughter, Mimi, and the many other talented craftsmen employed. Among the many techniques that emerged from Los Castillo which they are famous for are married metals, divorced metals, feathers with silver, Aztec mosaic or stone inlay, concha or abalone inlay, silver incrusted onyx, pavon or blued steel and metal painting. |
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Los Castillo Work in copper, brass and silver. The center stone used in this piece dates back to pre-Hispanic time. |
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Los Castillo This is a very fine example of a chain design used in many works of Los Castillo. Unlike most other silversmiths, Los Castillo uses 99% silver for this work. All hand-constructed (as is everything from Los Castillo), this piece has a pre-Columbian flower motif, complete with six delicately hanging raindrops at the bottom. |
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Los Castillo Antonio Castillo's daughter Emilia, or "Mimi", says, "Los Castillo must not be too commercial. We never repeat; we are always improving, getting better with the details. we are upgrading the quality of craftsmanship. We only want great artisans who love what they do. Silver is too precious a metal--it has to be used with love. The workshop setting today is the product of having my father train a fifty-year-old team. He has worked with these silversmiths and carpenters all those years. The environment has been created. We are like a family. The designers and silversmiths work together in all aspects for a successful finished product." |
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Los Castillo Quetzalcoatl pieces with Jade, surrounded by the feathered serpent, who is a major god figure for the Aztecs & Tolpecs |
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Los Castillo The silversmiths at Los Castillo who produce abalone and stone inlay follow procedures developed by Pre-Conquest artisans. The stone most often chosen for this kind of work is either malachite, turquoise, or chrysophase. The basic form consists of a silver base with raised contours which distinguish the outlines of the image. In the indentations, a cement pitch is spread which holds the stone after it has been cut to fit the space. This work requires an expert craftsman because the stone is thin and brittle and is often applied in a small area. Both stone and abalone are combined with silver not only in jewelry but to enhance pitchers and vases, on handles or as a figural or abstract motif within the context of the larger silver object. |
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Los Castillo This is an example of metal "painting" developed by Los Castillo. To create this effect, a figure is cut from a flat sheet of silver and then applied to a wooden plaque. The entire surface is then covered with an opaque polyester resin, and the resin is lightly sanded until the silver figure emerges from the background. |
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Los Castillo This is an extremely special piece--Los Castillo has taken an artifact, a piece of Mayan pottery, and preserved it by placing it in this wonderful necklace. What an incredible and inventive way to display this treasure! |
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Victoria-Ana Nuñez Brilanti |
| Source: "Mexican Silver" by Penny Chittim Morrill and Carole A. Berk | |
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El Interior |
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