For the most part, when we talk of Mexican jewelry we mean silver jewelry made in Taxco, a town with a rich silver history located about an hour’s drive from Mexico City. It is from this town where many of the important names in silversmithing history either came from or has at some point been. It is this important role in silver jewelry history which makes vintage Taxco jewelry so sought after.
There are several important questions to ask when looking for vintage Taxco Jewelry; ‘How do I date it?’, ‘Who made it?’, ‘What is it worth’, and of course it is always nice to know the story and the history behind the piece, any significance that particular design or piece may have had in silver jewelry history, or just an interesting story that goes along with it.
During the beginning of the twentieth century, Mexico witnessed revolutions and social upheavals, a process in which participants were trying to bring about a society that better reflected the cultural heritage of its indigenous populations, shrugging off European influences. At this time, people from elsewhere in the world, predominately America, went to participate and witness this evolution.
Trying to embody the desires of the population at that time of social upheaval in their work, artists and craftsmen alike created pieces to reflect that new era. This, of course, meant that Mexicans now wanted their art and jewelry to reflect their own culture and ancestry, which is why they began to investigate and study the arts and crafts traditions of their pre-Columbian ancestors, drawing inspiration from finds in the excavations of archaeological sites.
So, where does Taxco fit into this story? How did this little town in the hills become the destination point for so many Mexican craftsmen and artists from all across the globe? Once you start to explore this question, you will slowly get to know the designers and great names that brought about the Silver Arts and Crafts movement and why vintage Taxco Jewelry is so widely sought after by collectors.
It all started with two Americans, Fred Davis, a young individual looking for a future and William Spratling, who later became known as the father of silver jewelry in Mexico. Together these two visionaries brought together artisans, develop their talents, promoted and defined what we now recognize as so distinctly Mexican.
In this website, look for the story and the works of both these great visionaries, as well as import other important names such as Hector Aguilar, The Los Castillo, Sigi Pineda, Enrique Ledesma, Antonio Pineda, Margaret Van Voorhies Carr, Matilde Poulat, Salvador Teran, Victoria Ana Nune.
These artists, along with other notables, such as Hubert Harmon, Bernice Goodspeed, Los Ballesteros, and Valentin Vidaurreta, are some of the most sought after by collectors today. Their work is of impeccable quality and maintains the artistic integrity of Mexican tradition.
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