Sterling Silver Pedro Castillo Foliate Bracelet

This vintage silver design hails from another silver maestro, Pedro Castillo. He joined William Spratling as a young apprentice only two years after Spratling opened the Las Delicias workshop. Castillo would work under Spratling's tutelage for nine years before following fellow silversmith and notable maestro, Hector Aguilar to the Taller Borda. Castillo would work with Aguilar for several years beginning as a platero and later supervising the Taller Borda. Ultimately, as was the common pattern for great talent, Pedro Castillo began his own workshop in 1948. Castillo, Spratling, Aguilar, and other notable silver maestros would remain close-knit.

This design is representative of the meticulous design and execution Pedro Castillo pieces are known for. This vintage sterling silver bracelet features a warm patina and is a substantial 73 grams. The hallmark dates this piece to be from 1948 or later as reflected in Hougarts book of Mexican hallmarks on page 40. This piece is stamped "sterling", but note that .925 a standard that indicated the minimum amount of silver required in an item. The silversmith could exceed 92.5% and make items from 97% or 98% silver (.970 and .980 respectively). High silver content was the standard among Taxco maestros, and this bracelet reflects high silver content that ages beautifully.