Tray ‘Pluma Azteca’ - Los Castillo

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Tray ‘Pluma Azteca’ - Los Castillo

About the Item

This silver plated tray is beautifully crafted with the depiction of 2 aztec warrior-players at the pre-Columbian game of tlachtli , a sacred ball game. The inlay is done in pluma azteca, a complex art using feathers (and which can be appreciated by holding the tray up to a light.). The sacred ball game, a significant element in the religious structure of Mexico’s early cultures, was an extraordinary event, the players, dressing in deer skin for protection and assuming the role of deities, who would endeavor to keep the ball aloft using only their hips (some authorities include knees and elbows) in a fast, rough game that would sometimes go on for days causing on occasion death to some players from exhaustion. A definitive victory was gained only by hitting the ball through a stone ring embedded in a wall high above the court. Success at this extraordinary feat would make a player a local hero and recipient of great honors. But the most extraordinary element of this game was that which was considered to be the true apotheosis of all human sacrifice - when the winner offered himself in sacrifice by decapitation. Antonio Castillo and his 3 brothers were initiated as silversmiths under William Spratling and after 8 years, in 1939, opened up their own taller in Taxco, headquarters of the silver industry for both production and innovation from the 1940’s onward. Only a few share the podium with Los Castillo, a name associated with the great silver artisans of the past century in Mexico. Their work can be seen in all the authoritative books on Mexican silver.

Creator:
Los Castillo (Designer)
Dimensions:
Width: 12.75 in (32.39 cm)Depth: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Feathers,Metal,Silver
Place of Origin:
Mexico
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1960s
Condition:
Silver has worn with time and replating is included. Scratch near the ‘wall’ which may not be perceptible if newly replated. (Included.).
Seller Location:
Mexico City, MX
Reference Number:
Seller: 02101stDibs: LU9134936034