Frederick Walter Davis
Mask Necklace (Collar en forma de máscara)circa 1940

Not on view

Silver bib necklace with rectangular link chain and three triangular black stone settings in raised bezels on a wide crescent-shaped pendant

Artist or Maker: Frederick Walter Davis
United States, active Mexico, 1878-1961
Title: Mask Necklace (Collar en forma de máscara)
Date Made: circa 1940
Medium: Silver, obsidian
Dimensions: 7 7/8 × 6 1/8 in. (20 × 15.5 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Ronald A. Belkin, Long Beach, California
Accession Number: M.2015.190.12.1
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: Frederick Walter Davis was among the first silversmiths to incorporate carved obsidian masks into modern Mexican silver design. He modeled his designs on Mesoamerican masks made from this volcanic material (e.g., M.2001.212.30). The contrast between the reflective silver and black glass creates a striking effect that influenced other designers working with silver in Mexico such as Matilde Poulat (c. 1888–1960; see M.2013.4.21).

Born in Illinois, Davis arrived in Mexico in 1899. He first worked as a clerk for the Sonora News Company, selling newspapers, novelties, and an assortment of Mexican goods along train lines between Mexico and the United States. He became manager of the company’s location in Mexico City, which grew to sell fine art, craftwork, and furnishings. When the Sonora News Company folded in the late 1920s, Davis took over the store as his own enterprise and began producing and selling silver jewelry. His gallery was a destination for collectors from Mexico and the U.S., before he expanded and moved his showroom to Sanborns department store.

Rachel Kaplan

2024

Frederick Walter Davis
Mask Necklace (Collar en forma de máscara)circa 1940

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Frederick Walter Davis
United States, active Mexico, 1878-1961
Title: Mask Necklace (Collar en forma de máscara)
Date Made: circa 1940
Medium: Silver, obsidian
Dimensions: 7 7/8 × 6 1/8 in. (20 × 15.5 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Ronald A. Belkin, Long Beach, California
Accession Number: M.2015.190.12.1
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: Frederick Walter Davis was among the first silversmiths to incorporate carved obsidian masks into modern Mexican silver design. He modeled his designs on Mesoamerican masks made from this volcanic material (e.g., M.2001.212.30). The contrast between the reflective silver and black glass creates a striking effect that influenced other designers working with silver in Mexico such as Matilde Poulat (c. 1888–1960; see M.2013.4.21).

Born in Illinois, Davis arrived in Mexico in 1899. He first worked as a clerk for the Sonora News Company, selling newspapers, novelties, and an assortment of Mexican goods along train lines between Mexico and the United States. He became manager of the company’s location in Mexico City, which grew to sell fine art, craftwork, and furnishings. When the Sonora News Company folded in the late 1920s, Davis took over the store as his own enterprise and began producing and selling silver jewelry. His gallery was a destination for collectors from Mexico and the U.S., before he expanded and moved his showroom to Sanborns department store.

Rachel Kaplan

2024