Rounded Silver Pitcher with Strap Handle

A rounded silver body, a strap handle, silver loops, and a lidded top with its own strap handle mark this pitcher out as more than a simple pourer; the pierced strainer set inside and below the lip has led to its identification as a sangria pitcher. Function shaped the form, the strainer dictating the placement of the lip and lid.

The piece belongs to Spratling's first design period at Las Delicias, the workshop through which he led the Taxco silver revival of the 1930s. Its rounded, unadorned body reflects the geometric restraint Morrill identifies as shared with European modernists such as Puiforcat (p. 224).

The design has been reissued, continuing in production after the original years.

It is recorded across the principal references, including Morrill's Maestros de Plata, Morrill and Berk's Mexican Silver, and Goddard's field guide, the breadth of citation reflecting its standing in the catalog.

Los Angeles County Museum of ArtLos Angeles, California

Flower-Embossed Pitcher, circa 1940

Accession M.2013.4.12. Official museum record Photo: Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

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