early Taxco 980 silver, copper and azur-malachite butterfly Brooch

One of the most beautiful early Taxco brooches I have had over the years, this glorious butterfly combines delicate repoussage and the marrying of copper and 980 silver with a richly colored piece of azur-malachite. Copper-plating fine silver is not something everything would think to do - after all, one is a precious metal, the other, though very important throughout history, is not. The Mexicans, however, at least some of them, the famous Los Castillo included, seemed to have found the technique captivating. What is there not to love in this example? The masterfully wrought wings? The butterfly's eye-catching size? The stone's gorgeous greens (the malachite is dominant in this chunk) with the swirling black veining and the chocolate brown inclusions? A spectacular creation of that elusive, talented, "anonymous" maestro...

Size / Weight: 3 1/2" tall by 2" wide; 23.7 grams

Hallmarks / Date: "TAXCO 980"; pre-1948

Condition: very good vintage with beautiful patina, very good craftsmanship, a fantastic stone and no unsightly damage or repairs noted except for some slight, small "dents" in the wings that don't, however, distract from the brooch's beauty

Inv# 16021