Margot de Taxco (Margot van Voorhies Carr)
Snake Necklace, Bracelet, and Belt (Collar, pulcera, y cinturón en forma de serpiente)circa 1955

Not on view

Snake-form necklace in silver-toned metal with olive and yellow-green enamel scales, scattered teal cabochon stones, and a sculptural serpent head with a red enamel collar and forked tongue

Silver link bracelet in the form of a coiled serpent, with green and teal enamel scales, a dark stone eye, and turquoise inlay accents on the tail.

Silver articulated bracelet in the form of a coiled snake, with green and turquoise enamel scale patterning on segmented links, a hinged jaw, and a small safety chain.

Articulated metal serpent ornament with green and yellow patina, formed from linked segments with small protruding studs, coiled in an oval with a detailed snake head at lower right.

Circular necklace with segmented metal links covered in mottled green and yellow enamel, accented with small teal and dark oval insets at regular intervals.

Artist or Maker: Margot de Taxco (Margot van Voorhies Carr)
United States, active Mexico, 1896-1985
Title: Snake Necklace, Bracelet, and Belt (Collar, pulcera, y cinturón en forma de serpiente)
Place Made: Mexico, Taxco
Date Made: circa 1955
Medium: Silver, enamel
Dimensions: a) Necklace: 15 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (40.01 × 3.81 cm); b) Bracelet: 6 3/4 × 5/8 × 3 in. (17.15 × 1.59 cm); Bracelet diameter (closed): 3 in. (7.62 cm); c) Belt with snake length: 14 in. (35.56 cm); Belt with snake diameter (closed): 57 1/4 in. (18.42 cm); d) Belt extension length: 17 in. (43.18 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Elizabeth Finch in honor of the museum's 50th anniversary
Accession Number: M.2014.246a-d
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: Margot van Voorhies Carr became well known for jewelry that combined silver and fine enamelwork. This set of serpentine accessories is one of her most celebrated designs. The necklace, bracelet, and belt represent a snake eating its own tail. Each element is individually articulated (the necklace, for example, is composed of twenty-six parts). The rivets that hold the pieces together are not only functional but are incorporated into the design. The use of enamel throughout introduces color, enhancing the lifelike feel of the silver snakes.

Born in San Francisco, Carr had a lifelong fascination with Asian art. She met the silver designer Antonio Castillo (1917–2000) in 1937 while visiting Taxco, the epicenter of the modern Mexican silver industry. After the two married, she became the lead designer in his workshop Los Castillo, which was established in 1939. Following their divorce in 1946, Margot opened her own workshop known as Margot de Taxco. The addition of champlevé, an enamel-on-metal technique, was a distinctive feature of many of Margot’s designs. She employed women to execute the enamelwork, another departure from Taxco’s male-dominated workshops.

Rachel Kaplan

2025
Copyright: © artist or artist's estate

Margot de Taxco (Margot van Voorhies Carr)
Snake Necklace, Bracelet, and Belt (Collar, pulcera, y cinturón en forma de serpiente)circa 1955

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Margot de Taxco (Margot van Voorhies Carr)
United States, active Mexico, 1896-1985
Title: Snake Necklace, Bracelet, and Belt (Collar, pulcera, y cinturón en forma de serpiente)
Place Made: Mexico, Taxco
Date Made: circa 1955
Medium: Silver, enamel
Dimensions: a) Necklace: 15 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (40.01 × 3.81 cm); b) Bracelet: 6 3/4 × 5/8 × 3 in. (17.15 × 1.59 cm); Bracelet diameter (closed): 3 in. (7.62 cm); c) Belt with snake length: 14 in. (35.56 cm); Belt with snake diameter (closed): 57 1/4 in. (18.42 cm); d) Belt extension length: 17 in. (43.18 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Elizabeth Finch in honor of the museum's 50th anniversary
Accession Number: M.2014.246a-d
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: Margot van Voorhies Carr became well known for jewelry that combined silver and fine enamelwork. This set of serpentine accessories is one of her most celebrated designs. The necklace, bracelet, and belt represent a snake eating its own tail. Each element is individually articulated (the necklace, for example, is composed of twenty-six parts). The rivets that hold the pieces together are not only functional but are incorporated into the design. The use of enamel throughout introduces color, enhancing the lifelike feel of the silver snakes.

Born in San Francisco, Carr had a lifelong fascination with Asian art. She met the silver designer Antonio Castillo (1917–2000) in 1937 while visiting Taxco, the epicenter of the modern Mexican silver industry. After the two married, she became the lead designer in his workshop Los Castillo, which was established in 1939. Following their divorce in 1946, Margot opened her own workshop known as Margot de Taxco. The addition of champlevé, an enamel-on-metal technique, was a distinctive feature of many of Margot’s designs. She employed women to execute the enamelwork, another departure from Taxco’s male-dominated workshops.

Rachel Kaplan

2025