Silson Winged Parrot Brooch

A winged brooch incorporating Aztec stylized parrot motifs, this piece was produced by Silson in silver plate, translating Spratling's Pre-Columbian bird vocabulary into the accessible plated medium. The spread wings and stylized parrot forms derive from the same ancient sources Spratling drew on for his solid-silver work, here issued for a broader American market.

The design dates to the First Design Period, 1931 to 1946, and was accompanied by a matching Silson earring, so the parrot motif was offered as a coordinated plated set. Silson, the United States costume-jewelry maker, produced these plated interpretations of Spratling motifs during the 1940s as affordable counterparts to the handwrought originals.

A Silson plated brooch documents how Spratling's Aztec-derived designs reached a mass audience beyond his Taxco workshop. For collectors the interest lies in the relationship between the plated Silson interpretation and the solid-silver designs it echoes, marking the commercial reach of the Pre-Columbian motifs at the heart of the Taxco revival.