Description
Mexican Sterling Silver Letter H Cat Pin Helen Hanna Holly – This is a most unusual 1970s-1980s vintage 925 Taxco, Mexico hand made sterling silver cat pin in the form of a fancy letter H. Marked TA-157 with the T indicating Taxco origin, 925 Mexico so you know it is from the 1970s to 1980s. This assay marking was subsequently discontinued in Mexico. It is made of very, very thick “can’t bend it” sterling silver; strong and very well made. Condition is used having light faint surface scuffs. You could have it jeweler polished to look like brand new but it is okay the way it is. Size is 1 1/2″ from top to bottom by 7/8″ wide across. This is a fantastic pin for anyone with a letter H name who enjoys cats.
About Vintage Mexican Silver Jewelry:
Reference: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/fine-jewelry/mexican
Silversmithing has been practiced for centuries in Mexico. In fact, Mexican silversmiths taught the Navajo of the Southwestern United States their trade. But it took an American named William Spratling to see the opportunity to build on this legacy. He did this in 1931, when he established a retail outlet for Mexican jewelry near the silver-mining center of Taxco.
Spratling’s designs borrowed liberally from pre-Columbian motifs found on Mexico’s pyramids and lifted from the 14th-century symbols that fill the Codex Zouche-Nuttal. It was open-source material, if you will. So it shouldn’t be too surprising that as his shop succeeded and imitators sprang up nearby, the designs themselves were appropriated.
Some competitors were actively encouraged. In fact, the Taxco School, as it is known today, was formed largely from former Spratling employees. Examples are the Castillo brothers, Héctor Aguilar, and Antonio Pineda. In addition, Valentin Viadurreta brought a Mexican eye to Art Deco. Naturally, these artisans and their shops became incubators for still more generations of silversmiths.
For those who could not make the trip to Taxco, U.S. stores took the step of importing these popular goods. At one point everyone from fashionable Gump’s in San Francisco to Montgomery Ward in Chicago carried silver jewelry and tableware by Taxco designers.
