William Spratling
Sun Brooch (Prendedor en forma del sol)1944-1946

Not on view

Artist or Maker: William Spratling
United States, active Mexico, 1900-1967
Title: Sun Brooch (Prendedor en forma del sol)
Date Made: 1944-1946
Medium: Silver, azurite, and malachite
Dimensions: Diameter: 2 3/4 in. (7 cm) 2 3/4 × 2 3/4 × 1/2 in. (6.99 × 6.99 × 1.27 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Ronald A. Belkin, Long Beach, California
Accession Number: M.2015.249.3
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: This radial brooch that alternates silver with azurite and malachite is emblematic of William Spratling’s interest in combining contrasting materials and colors. An architect from New Orleans, Spratling established his first workshop in Taxco, Mexico, in 1931, working alongside a local master silversmith and several young apprentices. A brilliant marketing strategist, Spratling set out to reinvigorate Taxco’s economy by employing local artisans, catalyzing a renaissance in the Mexican silver industry. Insistence on handiwork and experimentation contributed to a thriving local industry. Designers and craftspeople drew on and creatively reinterpreted a variety of sources, including Mesoamerican art, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, and modernist motifs.

Ilona Katzew

2024
Copyright: © artist or artist's estate

Not on view

Artist or Maker: William Spratling
United States, active Mexico, 1900-1967
Title: Sun Brooch (Prendedor en forma del sol)
Date Made: 1944-1946
Medium: Silver, azurite, and malachite
Dimensions: Diameter: 2 3/4 in. (7 cm) 2 3/4 × 2 3/4 × 1/2 in. (6.99 × 6.99 × 1.27 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Ronald A. Belkin, Long Beach, California
Accession Number: M.2015.249.3
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: This radial brooch that alternates silver with azurite and malachite is emblematic of William Spratling’s interest in combining contrasting materials and colors. An architect from New Orleans, Spratling established his first workshop in Taxco, Mexico, in 1931, working alongside a local master silversmith and several young apprentices. A brilliant marketing strategist, Spratling set out to reinvigorate Taxco’s economy by employing local artisans, catalyzing a renaissance in the Mexican silver industry. Insistence on handiwork and experimentation contributed to a thriving local industry. Designers and craftspeople drew on and creatively reinterpreted a variety of sources, including Mesoamerican art, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, and modernist motifs.

Ilona Katzew

2024