William Spratling
Rattle Bell with Bird Motif (Campana de cascabeles con motivo de pájaro)circa 1940

Not on view

Polished silver cruet set with three bulbous vessels joined by a central column topped with a small sculpted bird finial and curved bracket arms

Artist or Maker: William Spratling
United States, active Mexico, 1900-1967
Title: Rattle Bell with Bird Motif (Campana de cascabeles con motivo de pájaro)
Place Made: Mexico, Taxco
Date Made: circa 1940
Medium: Silver
Dimensions: 3 1/4 × 2 1/4 × 2 in. (8.3 × 5.7 × 5.1 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Frederick and Stella Krieger, Los Angeles
Accession Number: M.2013.211.2
Classification: Furnishings
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: William Spratling was an avid collector of Mesoamerican art and frequently integrated ancient motifs into his modern designs. Several of Spratling’s designs include animals, which were important subjects in Mesoamerican art. Effigies of birds were sometimes used in ancient whistles and rattles, associating musical sounds with the chirps of these avian creatures. The three bells at the base of Spratling’s rattle also recall ancient examples.

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

William Spratling
Rattle Bell with Bird Motif (Campana de cascabeles con motivo de pájaro)circa 1940

Not on view

Artist or Maker: William Spratling
United States, active Mexico, 1900-1967
Title: Rattle Bell with Bird Motif (Campana de cascabeles con motivo de pájaro)
Place Made: Mexico, Taxco
Date Made: circa 1940
Medium: Silver
Dimensions: 3 1/4 × 2 1/4 × 2 in. (8.3 × 5.7 × 5.1 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Frederick and Stella Krieger, Los Angeles
Accession Number: M.2013.211.2
Classification: Furnishings
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: William Spratling was an avid collector of Mesoamerican art and frequently integrated ancient motifs into his modern designs. Several of Spratling’s designs include animals, which were important subjects in Mesoamerican art. Effigies of birds were sometimes used in ancient whistles and rattles, associating musical sounds with the chirps of these avian creatures. The three bells at the base of Spratling’s rattle also recall ancient examples.

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