- Title
- Flower-Embossed Pitcher (Jarra con flores cinceladas)
- Date Made
- circa 1940
- Medium
- Silver
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 8 in. (20.32 cm)
Height: 7 1/2 in. (19.05 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.2013.4.12
- Collecting Area
- Latin American Art
- Curatorial Notes
In this whimsical design, William Spratling reworked the conventional form of the pitcher. He exaggerated the round body into a plump shape that contrasts with the disproportionately small neck and lip. The top and bottom of the handle have ribbonlike loops, a fanciful detail that is echoed in the three stylized flowers that embellish the vessel. The resulting effect is a playful and thoroughly modern design for the home.
Trained as an architect, Spratling moved from New Orleans to Taxco, Mexico, where he established his first silver workshop in 1931. Working alongside master silversmiths and local apprentices, in 1935 he opened his famed Taller de Las Delicias, which attracted a cohort of international artists, intellectuals, and Hollywood celebrities. Spratling’s emphasis on craftsmanship and his experimentation with different sources, including Mesoamerican art, Art Deco, and modernism, contributed to his great success and helped revitalize the Mexican silver industry.
Rachel Kaplan
2025
- Copyright
- © artist or artist's estate
