Mexican Deco silver repousse Brooch ~ ancient dancer

Superbly crafted, profusely decorated and visually powerful this early Mexico City repousse figural brooch is an a rather rare example of vermeil silver jewelry from the country's 20th c. Silver Renaissance. I will admit that I am not particularly fond of vermeil - I love the look and feel of aged silver without "enhancements" that make it look like something it is actually not. Yet there are those very very scarce moments when a piece like this shows up and it makes me reconsider. Worn after years of handling and polishing, mellowed in a soft golden glow over the long years of its life, this vermeil is absolutely fabulous. Closer to its original condition in the deep recesses of the design where the polishing cloth cannot reach, it intensifies the sculptural quality and complex "layering" of the design rendering it almost life-like. Just look at this figure - crouched over the warm flames of a ritual fire (?), his hands extended to feel its warmth, the ancient dancer is dressed in full regalia which the anonymous maestro has painstakingly depicted in all their detail. And then there is the fearsome bone piercing the dancer's nose and the intense concentration on the sacred steps that bears his teeth to the outside world...

Size / Weight: 3" tall by 2 1/8" wide; 23.6 grams

Hallmarks / Date: "MADE IN MEXICO" and "STERLING"; pre-1948

Condition: excellent vintage with superbly executed, complex repoussage, the most wonderful golden glowing patina, with no damage and no repairs noted - an exceptional example of early Mexico City jewelry

Inv# 15786