In 1949, William Spratling signed a contract to design an exclusive line for Conquistador, then the largest silver factory in Mexico. At the time, Spratling was also working on a U.S. government commission that involved training Native Alaskan artisans in silverwork (see M.2013.5.1). His research and designs for that project clearly impacted his drawings for Conquistador. Spratling’s interpretation of the North Star, applied in silver to these rosewood candlesticks, exemplifies the fluidity between the two projects. While he produced several variations of this star motif (M.2018.68.57), the candlesticks are distinctive for their combination of local rosewood and the designer’s signature silver.
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
2024