Silson Bracelet of Large Heavy Links

Built of large, heavy links, this bracelet is a Silson piece in silver plate, produced under the New York licensing arrangement in the early 1940s. Silson, Inc. began producing Spratling designs in 1941 following the registration of his patents in 1940-41 (Morrill, p. 257).

The weight and scale of the links reflect the heavy, hand-feeling silver that gave Spratling's jewelry its character, translated here into a plated commercial product. The early 1940s were precisely the years Spratling silver was also reaching American buyers through the Montgomery Ward catalogues (Morrill, p. 257).

A licensed costume version rather than a Taxco original, it documents the commercial reach of Spratling's designs during the war.