Taxco Mexico Brass and Azurite Malachite Snake Charmer Hinged Box, ca 1960s

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Taxco Mexico Brass and Azurite Malachite Snake Charmer Hinged Box, ca 1960s

About the Item

Taxco Mexico Brass and Azurite Malachite Snake Charmer Hinged Box, ca 1960s Superb handwrought circa 1960s mixed metals - silver, copper and brass - inlay box by a skilled silversmith (maker unknown) from Taxco, Mexico. An abstract design featuring a snake charmer with horn and snake is surrounded by Mexican azurite and malachite stone inlay. Dimensions are 7-3/8" long by 4-1/4" wide by 1-1/4" inch high. Stamped "Hecho en Mexico". The story of Taxco can be told three parts, each one revolving around a central figure arriving in Mexico at two hundreds year intervals: Hernan Cortes (arriving in 1521), Don Jose de la Borda (arriving in 1761), and William Spratling (arriving in 1920). Each of their stories sets the stage for today’s silver industry. Telling their stories adds as much value to each piece of jewelry as the silver itself. Pre-Columbian records tells us that the rich veins of gold and silver running through Mexico were mined by the natives and used to pay tribute to their Aztecs Rulers. But Hernan Cortes’ arrival in 1521, and the subsequent battle fought and won by the Spaniards, gave Spain, and Cortes himself, claim to the mines in Taxco. The conquering soldiers built the earliest homes and churches as well as the aqueducts that supplied the water needed to extract silver from ore, and shipped tons of their treasures back to the Crown1. By the end of the century Taxco had become Spain’s primary source of silver and precious metals in the New World. As richer and more accessible mines were discovered, the demand for silver from Cortez’s mines dwindled and they were eventually shuttered. In 1716 a Spaniard named Don Jose de la Borda was allegedly wandering about the hills of Taxco when he spotted a rich silver vein running across the surface. He struck his fortune there, and in gratitude used most of his money to build the original infrastructure of the city, i.e., schools, roads, houses, etc. His greatest gift to the city was the stunning Santa Prisca Cathedral. Often referred to as the “Father” of Taxco, Don Borda built the foundation of today’s Taxco. Other successful miners followed his lead – building their own lavish homes and beautiful churches in and around the small town. But in the 19th century, during Mexico’s War for Independence, these Spanish barons destroyed their mines rather than lose them to the revolutionaries, and left the country in ruin. With the mines destroyed, the silver industry again fell silent as the newly formed government began building their new society. The highway system from Mexico City finally reached Taxco in the early 1920’s, and in 1926, William Spratling – a U.S. Citizen and associate professor of architecture from Tulane University, arrived in Taxco to find a quiet place to study and pursue his goal of a writing career. Being an artist himself, he quickly came to admire the aesthetic talents of the Mexican people, and found himself writing about their history and talents rather than pursuing his own studies. To make ends meet, he sent those stories back to as many of the periodicals as would publish him. It was through conversation and the encouragement of his friends at the American Embassy that he took the first steps of building and nurturing a center for the Mexican craftsmen. With his help, the locals reopened the mines and set the miners to work and Spratling invited a well-known goldsmith in Iguala to come and help him teach the art of silversmithing. Together, they established an apprentice program using Spratling’s designs, but then encouraged their young protégé’s to create their own designs by drawing inspiration from their Aztec and Mayan cultures. Mr. Spratling travelled extensively through the remotest regions of Mexico, seeking out the craftsmen in each village and buying their treasures. He sent many of those pieces back to the States where they made their way to the finest department stores, and an audience quickly developed. The craftsmen and women from all across Mexico soon began arriving at his doorstep with their families, looms, pottery wheels and household goods all loaded in primitive wagons and carts, ready for work. It was the war in Europe that finally opened the doors wide to the Mexican Arts and Crafts movement. Americans had always looked to Europe for fine jewelry and the highest quality household goods, but the war scattered the European craftsmen and decimated their supplies and materials. Spratling’s steady stream of publicity, and the jewelry and textiles that he sent back, were a welcome alternative. Their organic designs were a compliment to the Arts and Crafts movement here in the States. Taxco was soon flourishing again, with an entire industry and economy developing around the designs of their gifted young Tallers who, in turn, opened their own workshops and stores. Taxco became a popular destination for both the tourists who enjoyed the spectacular beauty of the region, and the wholesale buyers who brought back suitcases full of merchandise to the shopkeepers eager for beautiful jewelry, textiles, and the unique plateware being produced there. William Spratling died in a car accident in 1967, and the mines in Taxco were eventually exhausted and closed for good, but the industry continues. The economy of Taxco, now home to more than 50,000 residents, still revolves around tourism and the hundreds of silversmiths who still call Taxco home. Taxco’s rich history is still evident. A visitor can still walk the ancient cobblestone streets through a labrynth of white stucco buildings with red-tile roofs, sit quietly in the beautiful Santa Prisca Cathedral, or visit the former home of Sr Borda’s. But the city is always busy – Parades of school children, tour groups, festive bands, and funeral processions all share the narrow streets daily with a never ending stream of VW cabs and busses, all ferrying their passengers in and around the city. Source: Corazon Sterling

Creator:
Taxco (Workshop/Studio)
Dimensions:
Height: 1.25 in (3.18 cm)Width: 7.38 in (18.75 cm)Depth: 4.25 in (10.8 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Malachite,Rosewood,Hammered,Inlay
Place of Origin:
Mexico
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1960s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. There is some oxidation to the brass, mainly around the hinges. Overall the patina is beautiful as presented.
Seller Location:
Cathedral City, CA
Reference Number:
Seller: OC 9720e1stDibs: LU8352240564152

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