Clip Is in the Form of an Enlarged Paper Clip

The wit of this money clip is its source: it is an enlarged paper clip rendered in solid silver, a found industrial form blown up in scale and elevated in material. Spratling noted in his catalog that it could serve for correspondence, bills, or a tie, so the object is deliberately multipurpose, its humor inseparable from its function.

The design was also offered with obsidian, catalogued as number 4A, the black volcanic stone of Guerrero set against the silver to give a second version of the same idea. The pairing of plain silver with native obsidian was a recurring Spratling move, and offering the clip both ways let the buyer choose between austerity and contrast.

A silver money clip is among the more modest objects in Spratling's catalog, and pieces of this kind, made for everyday carry, survive but reach the market only occasionally in good condition. The design reflects the breadth of his workshop's output beyond jewelry and holloware, down to the small accessories of a man's pocket.