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Japanese 950 silver Perfume Bottle and Funnel – Mount Fuji

By in Uncategorized, World |

Sweet-as-can-be Japanese 950 silver perfume bottle with its original matching funnel, this set is so beautifully made and it is one of those amazing must-haves for your purse or your vanity! The bottle is decorated in the front with the etched image of a landscape showing pagodas on a body of water with what I believe is Mount Fuji in the distance. The etching looks to have been accented by gold tracing that adds depth to the scene. On the back it is inscribed with initials “LEM” a la japonaise…   Size/Weight: 2″ tall by 1 5/8″ wide for the bottle; funnel is 5/8″ tall with an equally wide top diameter; 14.4 grams (for the set) Hallmarks / Date: “SILVER 950”; difficult to date with accuracy but I would suggest 1920s-40s Condition: vintage presenting a delicately etched vignette of a Japanese landscape, having great patina, no damage nor...

modernist Taxco Mexican silver foliate Bracelet with aqua glass gem

By in Uncategorized |

Highly stylized foliate links cut out of thick gauge silver sheet and deeply hand-chased comprise this modernist Taxco sterling bracelet. The central station houses a faceted glass gem, its crystal clear, icy blue color eye-catching and evocative of wintry landscapes. This is a piece signed by one of those early Mexican maestros about whom we don’t know much more than where they worked and when they were active. The jewelry they created is their legacy, however, and judging by the craftsmanship, attention to detail and careful finishing this piece exhibits, its maker’s legacy is an impressive one…   Size/Weight: 6  3/4″ long by just shy of 1″ wide; 48.6 grams Hallmarks / Date: maker’s initials “FDH” (I think?) as well as “TAXCO MEXICO 925” and Eagle 3 assay mark; 1950s-60s Condition: excellent vintage with a slick, easy to...

Taxco Deco Mexican silver amethyst Pill Box ~ siesta men

By in Mexican and Latin American, Uncategorized |

Pill boxes are among my must-have “needful things”. There is always one in my purse and several around the house at all times. The early Taxco Deco example I am presenting here is adorned by a double figural applique and centered by a saturated purple amethyst cabochon. Deep in their midday slumber, the two campesinos are accentuated by oxidation and patina that makes the applique stand out in a dramatic way. I love the pyramidal shape of the lid and the warm glow the sterling box has developed over its long – and undoubtedly useful – life…   Size/Weight: 1 11/16″ long by 1 1/8″ wide by 7/16″ tall (on the sides – the center is a little taller); 19.1 grams Hallmarks / Date: ” TAXCO SILVER”; pre-1948 Condition: very good vintage with great patina, a darling figural theme and a beautiful stone; the lid stays securely closed...

9″ rare set of 2 William Spratling Mexican Deco tin Candleholders

By in Mexican and Latin American, Uncategorized |

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Los Ballesteros Mexican 970 silver and amethyst Bracelet in an Antonio Pineda design

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Vintage 1980s Talleres de Los Ballesteros Mexican modernist bracelet wrought in Antonio Pineda’s favorite .970 alloy which is richer in silver content than the standard sterling this is a heavy, architectural piece adorned with clear, faceted, gem-quality amethysts. The stones are open on the back to maximize the effect created by the light as it passes through them and the all-silver links are substantial and very sculptural. I don’t offer post-1980 Mexican jewelry very often unless the quality of materials and the level of craftsmanship is en par with that of earlier periods. And the bracelet at hand, based on an Antonio design, I believe, is just such an occasion…   Size/Weight: 7″ long (wearable) by 3/4″ wide; 88.9 grams Hallmarks / Date: signed with the Los Ballesteros conjoined initials as well as their registration code “TM-34” and...

Ostern for David Andersen Norway silver modernist Pendant Necklace

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Modernist David Andersen sterling silver necklace consisting of Andersen’s classic “v” neck ring and a modernist pendant which I believe is a Bjorn Ostern design. I love Scandinavian mid-century jewelry and I have a special affinity for neck ring combinations – the set at hand is one of my favorite. The pendant has good size to it and matches the proportions of the neck ring that is here more comfortable than the usual 15″ examples. Fantastic…   Size/Weight: neck ring is 16 7/8″ in inner circumference (including the 1 1/8″ gap); pendant is 2 5/8″ tall and 1 3/4″ wide; 25.0 grams (on a postal scale) Hallmarks / Date: both pieces are fully hallmarked; Andersen’s name / initials as well as “925S”, “NORWAY” and “STERLING”; 1960s Condition: excellent vintage with great patina (you can...