Rococo Gilded Silver Earrings

Spratling called these earrings "rococo," the name nodding to the curvilinear play of silver and gilded silver across their surface. The two-tone treatment, plain metal set against a gold-toned finish, is the design's distinguishing feature, giving depth and movement to what is otherwise a compact form.

A matching necklace was made to the same design, the kind of coordinated suite Spratling's workshop produced so that a motif could be carried across a parure. Working a single idea across earrings, necklace, and pin was a habit of the taller he founded at Las Delicias.

With no recorded reference and the design's own playful name to go on, the earrings stand as a small example of Spratling's lighter decorative vein. The gilded-silver pairing makes them readily recognizable to collectors of his work.