Aztec Sunburst Necklace with Carved Obsidian Faces Around

Carved obsidian faces ring this Aztec sunburst necklace, the dark volcanic glass giving the radiating disc a far more somber tone than the amethyst version it is usually seen in. The chain is made of elongated links each carrying a central incised line, a distinct treatment for this example.

Obsidian is itself a Pre-Columbian material, prized in ancient Mexico, so its use here reinforces the sunburst's reference to the country's past, the kind of revival of ancient iconography and material that defined Spratling's work (Morrill, Mexican Silver, 1994, p. 14). The carved faces set into the dark glass deepen that allusion.

The pendant's detailing around the central cabochon matches that of the Aztec sunburst bracelet, marking it as part of the same coordinated design group. The back loops for the chain differ from those on the amethyst pendant, a construction detail that sets this version apart. The piece was hand-wrought by the early workshop's methods (Morrill, p. 36).

An obsidian-faced sunburst is an uncommon variant of an already significant design, and pieces from this family surface only occasionally, which makes a documented obsidian example a notable point in the catalogue of Spratling's solar motifs.