Héctor Aguilar
Feathered Brooch (Prendedor con plumas)circa 1950

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Héctor Aguilar
Mexico, 1905-1986
Title: Feathered Brooch (Prendedor con plumas)
Date Made: circa 1950
Medium: Silver
Dimensions: 3 1/8 × 3 1/8 in. (8.02 × 8.02 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. Rocio S. Honigmann and Dr. Jaime Flores Riveros
Accession Number: M.2016.253.1
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: Héctor Aguilar was an avid collector of Mesoamerican art whose modern silver designs reflect deep knowledge of historical sources. The stylized feather motif of this brooch draws inspiration from ancient precedents. Feathers were highly prized and considered sacred in Mesoamerica. Here, Aguilar used a heavy-gauge silver to create deeper lines and greater definition.

Aguilar’s fascination with ancient art and history led to his work as a tour guide, which turned out to be a fateful profession. He met his future wife, Lois Smith Cartwright, while she was traveling in Mexico in 1935; the following year, the newlyweds visited Taxco, a center of the silver industry. Aguilar had previously brought tour groups to William Spratling’s renowned Taller de Las Delicias (established in 1935). Spratling subsequently hired Aguilar to manage the workshop before the latter forged out on his own. Aguilar and Cartwright founded the Taller Borda in 1939, and their workshop became known for the high quality of its elaborate works.

Rachel Kaplan

2025

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Héctor Aguilar
Mexico, 1905-1986
Title: Feathered Brooch (Prendedor con plumas)
Date Made: circa 1950
Medium: Silver
Dimensions: 3 1/8 × 3 1/8 in. (8.02 × 8.02 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. Rocio S. Honigmann and Dr. Jaime Flores Riveros
Accession Number: M.2016.253.1
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: Héctor Aguilar was an avid collector of Mesoamerican art whose modern silver designs reflect deep knowledge of historical sources. The stylized feather motif of this brooch draws inspiration from ancient precedents. Feathers were highly prized and considered sacred in Mesoamerica. Here, Aguilar used a heavy-gauge silver to create deeper lines and greater definition.

Aguilar’s fascination with ancient art and history led to his work as a tour guide, which turned out to be a fateful profession. He met his future wife, Lois Smith Cartwright, while she was traveling in Mexico in 1935; the following year, the newlyweds visited Taxco, a center of the silver industry. Aguilar had previously brought tour groups to William Spratling’s renowned Taller de Las Delicias (established in 1935). Spratling subsequently hired Aguilar to manage the workshop before the latter forged out on his own. Aguilar and Cartwright founded the Taller Borda in 1939, and their workshop became known for the high quality of its elaborate works.

Rachel Kaplan

2025