William Spratling Amethyst Sol Sun Silver Bracelet

William Spratling Amethyst Cuff, Taxco Silver Sol Sun Bracelet 161g, Documented Mexican Modernist Museum Piece, Vintage Collector Heirloom

DESCRIPTION:
A 161 gram amethyst Sol cuff bracelet by William Spratling, the architect turned silversmith known as the father of modern Mexican silver. Hand wrought in Taxco with a radiant sun motif set with a fine natural amethyst, this is a documented, museum quality piece from my personal collection, illustrated in Mexican Silver by Morrill and Berk (page 39, plate III-19).

To own a Spratling is to hold a chapter of twentieth century design history on your wrist. This is for the collector who already knows the name, and for the wearer who wants a piece with weight, meaning, and a paper trail.

WHY THIS PIECE MATTERS
William Spratling was an architect from upstate New York who found his way to Taxco, Mexico, in 1929. He arrived during a period of cultural renewal, the same current that moved through the murals of Diego Rivera, when the rediscovery of pre-Columbian art met a living modern aesthetic. Spratling drew on both, and on the natural gemstones of Mexico, amethyst, turquoise, jade, and lapis among them. The Sol, or sun, motif on this cuff is a tribute to that old-world Mexican spirit and to the amethyst that the land itself yields. The stone in this piece is of superior quality and has held its color and clarity across decades.

ABOUT TAXCO AND ITS SILVER
Taxco sits above one of the great silver veins of the Americas. For centuries its silver flowed outward as tribute, first to the Aztecs, then through three hundred years of Spanish mining. A period of prosperity came in the 1700s when Jose de la Borda arrived from Spain, though the town quieted again after he left. Spratling's contribution was to keep the silver, and the skill, at home. Mexican silver of his era was often worked at a purity above today's .925 sterling standard, and Spratling's own pieces are associated with a fine grade of silver. The generous weight of this cuff, 161 grams, reflects the philosophy of his workshop, where pieces were made substantial and never thin.

SPRATLING AND THE TAXCO RENAISSANCE
By the time Spratling settled in, Taxco was historically a silversmithing town, but the trade had thinned among local hands. He set up shop, learned the craft, and turned it into a livelihood, training a first group of local men in silversmithing and others in the work of the shop. His atelier, the Taller de las Delicias, became the standard against which Taxco silver was measured. Many who trained or began with him went on to become titans of the field, among them Antonio Pineda, the Castillo brothers, and Hector Aguilar, alongside the women who shaped the tradition, including Margot de Taxco. A piece of true Spratling vintage announces itself through its weight and the quality of its silver, the surest way to distinguish his era from later work.

PROVENANCE AND DOCUMENTATION
This bracelet is stamped by William Spratling and the design is published in Mexican Silver by Penny Chittim Morrill and Carole A. Berk, page 39, plate III-19. It is a historic treasure and a museum quality piece of jewelry.

SPECIFICATIONS
MAKER: William Spratling
ORIGIN: Taxco, Mexico
FORM: Cuff bracelet, open back
MOTIF: Sol (sun)
MATERIALS: Hand wrought Mexican silver, natural amethyst
WEIGHT: 161 grams
HALLMARK: William Spratling stamp (see photos)
DOCUMENTATION: Mexican Silver, Morrill and Berk, page 39, plate III-19
CONDITION: Excellent vintage condition
PROVENANCE: From the private collection of Nasado Trading Co.

MEASUREMENTS
Inner length along the band: 6 in.
Gap opening: 1.25 in.
Total inner circumference: 7.25 in.

A WORD BEFORE YOU BUY
Message me anytime for additional photos, the hallmark close up, or any question about the piece. I am glad to talk it through.