William Spratling Mexican Silver

Some of the Mexican silversmiths that worked for Spratling in his Taller de Las Delicias shop in Taxco and went on to become famous silver designers include Hector Aguilar, Los Castillo, and Antonio Pineda.

Hector Aguilar was one of the designers that worked for Spratling and left to open his own workshop. He partnered with the Coro jewelry company to create jewelry for them during the 1940 and had a strong influence on many Coro pieces from the era.

Los Castillio is a design team of four brothers headed by Antonio Castillo. He began his career working in William Spratling's employ and later married Margot van Voorhies Carr, who is known as Margot de Taxco.

Antonio Pineda also started at William Spratling's Taller de Las Delicias and went on to become one of the most influential designers in Mexico. He employed as many as 80 silversmiths at a time and created jewelry in 970 silver.

Town and Templo Santa Prisca, Taxco, Mexico Photographic Print

Buy at AllPosters.com

William Spratlling's silver designs are generally grouped into three peroids, the first being taken from pre-Columbian architecture and motifs. The theme of the early pieces included rope designs, discs and balls. They combined other metals such as copper and bronze with silver.

In the 1930s and 1940s his jewelry included amethyst and turquoise stones. The shapes of his jewelry and hollowware were more stylized and often depicted animal shapes. During this time he created silver for Neiman-Marcus, Bonwit Teller, and Saks Fifth Avenue in the United States.

In the late 1940s William Spratling partnered with some student from Alaska to train them to create silver based on their indigenous heritage. His designs during this time were more streamlined and often included media such as tortoise shell, malachite, jade, ebony and gold. The shapes were more simple and clean.

Explore Taxco Guerrero Mexico today

Taxco is one of the world's treasures, a Mexican colonial town known the world over for its silver. To those who have visited it is beloved for its architectural and geographical beauty and for the kindness and generosity of its people.