rare Mateo Mexican 950 silver "mask" Ring

Maestro Mateo of Taxco is known among vintage jewelry collectors for his modernist, mostly brutalist, ring designs. His work is sought after for its quality, the beauty of the stones he incorporates in his pieces and the strong sense of tension that his rings exude. His career strides the divide between the so-called Eagle mark period and that of the T-marks and, in my experience, he is one of the very few silversmiths who used .950 alloys before they became the norm in the 1980s. When I came upon this impressive all-silver "mask" ring (I actually think this is a portrait of King Pakal of Palenque), I did not expect to find his signature on the shank but there it is, a very welcome surprise indeed. Rare, bold and beautiful...

Size / Weight: sz 7 US (easily resizable by your jeweler); face is 1" N-S by 7/8" E-W; 19.9 grams

Hallmarks / Date: maker's signature "MATEO" as well as "MEXICO", "TAXCO 950" and an Eagle assay mark whose number has not been stamped clearly; 1970s

Condition: excellent vintage with very good, crisp casting that brings out the "mask's" features clearly, with fantastic patina, impressive presence and no damage or repairs noted

Inv# 15725