Tortoise Shell Disc Earrings

A disc of tortoise shell riveted to a flat silver ground makes these earrings a study in material contrast, the warm translucence of the shell set against cool metal and held by a visible silver rivet. They belong to the first design period of the Taller de las Delicias, the workshop Spratling founded in 1931.

The exposed rivet is treated as part of the design rather than hidden, a frank bit of construction that suits Spratling's interest in honest material pairings. Tortoise shell with silver is a recurring combination in his work, the organic material given equal weight with the metal.

First-period earrings pairing silver with tortoise shell come to market only occasionally and are collected as examples of Spratling's material vocabulary.