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Alternating rectangles of silver and obsidian make these cuff links a compact essay in Spratling's love of the black volcanic stone against bright metal. Obsidian, native to Mexico, was one of the materials he used to ground his designs in local geology, and the strict alternation of stone and silver here is geometric abstraction at the scale of menswear.
The simple repeating rhythm reflects the structural approach to ornament that characterized his jewelry, decoration built from the placement of parts.
The cuff links are recorded in Phyllis M. Goddard's Spratling Silver: A Field Guide. Men's accessories in silver and obsidian survive in modest numbers.
Museum of Mexican Silver. “Obsidian Rectangle Cuff Links.” Catalog no. MoMS-000733. https://museumofmexicansilver.com/pieces/spratling-2705
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Wrought Silver Shell Cuff Links
Third Design Period: 1951 - 1967
Silver
