Bracelet of Hinged Links of Three Half Balls

Built from hinged links, each carrying a cluster of three half balls, this bracelet reads as a study in articulation: the segmented construction lets the band move and catch light along its length while keeping the silhouette light on the wrist. It is a First Design Period piece, from the years after Spratling established the Taller de Las Delicias in 1931.

The repeated half-dome was among the simplest and earliest forms in his workshop; Morrill notes that the very first pieces produced there were plain half-dome earrings and heavy belt buckles, the silver melted down from coins (Morrill, Mexican Silver, 1994, p. 156). The light weight here reflects a design conceived for wearability rather than mass.

The same design was also made set with amethysts, a common practice in the workshop of offering a single form in more than one material. Bracelets of this early hinged type are seen only occasionally.