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loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
A superb Los Castillo Taxco Chato design sterling silver 'onix negro' Mexican modernist pre-Columbian Parrot design bracelet circa 1950s.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #mexicansilver #taxco #onixnegro #preColumbian #parrotdesign #1950s #mexicanmodernism #design
A superb vintage 1950s handmade sterling silver and 'onix negro' (black onyx) Mexican modernist pre Columbian Parrot design bracelet created by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo in Taxco. Entirely handmade hand wrought solid sterling silver with a bezel-set onix negro stone at top into which is inlaid silver wire in a modernist take on an ancient pre-Columbian Parrot Glyph design most likely of Maya or Aztec origin. The Parrot glyph is repeated again at either end of the bracelet at the closure using the silver overlay technique where two layers of silver are laid over each other with the upper layer cut-thru in the design, and the recesses created are then oxidized black to make the design stand out. Parrots and macaws were deeply sacred in Mesoamerica, serving as living symbols of the sun, fire, and divine messengers connecting the earthly and spiritual realms. Because of their vibrant colors and ability to vocalize, parrots were believed to bridge the gap between humans and the gods, carrying prayers up to the sky. Live birds and their feathers were restricted to royalty and priests. Rulers and elites used the feathers to adorn sacred objects, ceremonial capes, and elaborate headdresses to project divine power. Chato Castillo designed this bracelet and most of the 'onix negro' jewelry and objects along with much else, and he invented this unique to Los Castillo metalworking technique that they called 'onix negro' for black onyx combined with shiny silver, a high-contrast combination! The bracelet measures 1-3/8" wide at top, and fits up to a 7.5" wrist (snugly) presently, and could be sized by a professional by adding rings or other spacers at the hinged joints if desired. Weighs a hefty 75.2 grams total. Marked inside as shown, "Los Castillo Taxco" in a circle around the Eagle 15, "Onix Negro", and design number 60. This is only the second example of this design that I've seen in my 45+ year career, so definitely a rare one! Excellent vintage condition.
October 31, 2026 at 3:34 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
An iconic Los Castillo 'metales casados' (copper, brass, silver) and stone inlay 'eye' Mexican modernist Aztec Bird design three-part tray by Chato Castillo c. 1950s.

#loscastillotaxco #metalescasados #marriedmetals #chatocastillodesign #taxco #mexicanmodernism #AztecBird #design #tray #mcm #art
An iconic Los Castillo 'metales casados' (copper, brass, silver) and stone inlay 'eye' Mexican modernist Aztec Bird design three-part tray by Chato Castillo c. 1950s. Designed by Chato Castillo and produced by Los Castillo in a variety of sizes, and with different colors of stone inlay in the 'eye'. One of my favorite all-time designs by Chato! Entirely handmade so each is unique, just a little different from all the others. Not a rare design, I have 7 or 8 in my collection including one made by Antonio Castillo's granddaughter, Lily, and I see them for sale often online. Marked with the usual 1950s Los Castillo marks, and design number 42.
September 11, 2026 at 4:28 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
A super rare 'Metales Castillo' bracelet in sterling copper and brass and centering a pre-Columbian jade bead at top c. 1950s - design by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo Taxco.

Available....

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #metalescastillo #mexicanmodernism
A super rare vintage 1950s handmade mixed metals (sterling, copper, brass) and large pre-Columbian jade bead Mexican modernist bracelet designed by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo in Taxco, Mexico. An incredible design entirely handmade by skilled artisans in the Los Castillo workshop in heavy-gauge brass and copper wire, centering a large (1.25" diameter!) pre-Columbian jade bead at top, and with a sterling silver closure at bottom! Both Chato and his brother Antonio Castillo were long-time collectors of pre-Columbian artifacts, and some pieces from their collections found their way into unique jewelry designs produced by Los Castillo. I've only seen one other example of this bracelet design which I purchased at auction a few years ago from the famous Hodosh collection in California. This is only the second example of it that I have seen, and I had the privilege of viewing some of the best collections of Mexican silver and modernist jewelry in the world when I worked on the Maestros de Plata exhibition and catalog back in 2001. The bracelet measures 1.5" wide at top, and fits up to a 7.5" wrist (snugly), though I suggest a 7 to 7.25 wrist at largest for comfortable wear, and weighs a hefty 71.5 grams total. The pre-Columbian jade bead measures 1.25" diameter by about 7/8" widest point. The bracelet is marked with the early 1950s "Metales Castillo" mark, also design number "191".You won't see another one for sale anytime soon! There is some wear as expected to the ancient pre-Columbian jade bead that is likely Maya in origin, and is no doubt in the vicinity of 1500-2000 years old! Excellent vintage condition.
September 7, 2026 at 4:14 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
A rare sterling and turquoise pre-Columbian figure applied on an ebonized wood plaque artwork by Los Castillo circa 1950s.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #mexicansilver #handmade #precolumbianfigure #mexicanmidcentury #taxco #art #sculpture #loscastilloart #mexicandesign
The figure depicted is a high-ranking priest or aristocrat with bracelets, anklets, necklace, ear decorations, and an elaborate head decoration. He is cut from sheet silver, then given incised line details and small turquoise stone decoration. The figure is attached to an ebonized wood backing with hanging fixture at back. Also signed "Los Castillo Taxco" at back with an applied round silver plaque. Likely a variation of the 'metales divorciados' (divorced metals) technique invented by Chato in the late 1940s, no longer 'divorciado' and with incised line and stone embellishment. Chato was always inventing and refining his techniques, and this variation no doubt gave birth to the great number of similar works produced by the Talleres Monasticos and Emaus Benedictine monk workshops in Cuernavaca. TM and Emaus sold their works through Los Castillo in the beginning, first as anonymous suppliers, and later signing their work as independent workshops. In the 1980s and 90s, Antonio made a great number of pre-Columbian figure artworks, and this is an intermediate point in the evolution of the form from its 'metales divorciados' birth to the elaborate and dimensional wall sculptures produced by Antonio in the last two decades of his long and illustrious career.
August 26, 2026 at 1:16 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Los Castillo 'plateado' and malachite Maize design box c. 1980s - with a Mexican rosewood interior!

The design at top of the box depicts Zea Mays (corn), the cereal grass domesticated in Mexico thousands of years ago.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #box #art #design
Los Castillo 'plateado' (plated) and malachite Maize (aka corn) design cigarette box c. 1980s - with a Mexican rosewood interior! Silver-plated brass with malachite stone inlay. The design at top of the box depicts 'Zea Mays' (aka corn in the US and Canada), the cereal grass domesticated in Mexico thousands of years ago. The seller's description below shows great insight and sensitivity to the designs of Los Castillo, although sometimes dipping a little into grandiosity and exageration... "There are jewelry pieces. And there are pieces by Los Castillo. The difference is not only one of quality — it is one of intention. This box for storing jewelry or valuables, numbered with the distinctive stamp of the Taxco workshop — Los Castillo Hand Wrought, Hecho en México — belongs to that category of objects where craft and art cease to be distinguishable. The number 361 is not a minor detail: numbered pieces by Los Castillo represent a limited and controlled production, intended for collectors and those who knew what they held in their hands. The lid is the heart of the piece. Across the silver-plated surface, a row of stylized corn plants - traced with a silversmith's precision and filled with malachite inlays — unfolds the visual vocabulary that made the workshop celebrated: motifs of pre-Hispanic origin translated into the language of modern design with a fluency that very few achieved. The corn is not decoration: it is symbol, it is identity, it is Mexico condensed in metal and green stone. The malachite, with its natural veining and color variations, adds depth and life to each form. No two pieces are identical — the material prevents It. The interior holds one final surprise: a lining of rosewood, whose deep reddish tone and silky grain contrast with the coolness of the metal. A quietly luxurious detail that reveals itself only when the box is opened." Measures 0.79" tall by 4.34" wide by 7.68" long. The box is for sale on 1stDibs.com
August 22, 2026 at 1:34 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Two versions of the same design - (l) the Chato Castillo prototype, and (r) the Los Castillo production version.
Both feature a 'metales casados' Snake amid stone inlay of contrasting color.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #snake #box #mexicanmodernism #mexicandesign #art
Two versions of the same design - (l) the Chato Castillo prototype, and (r) the Los Castillo production version. Both feature a 'metales casados' Snake amid stone inlay of contrasting color. The prototype has green stone 'pebble' inlay, and the production version has flat mosaic inlay azurmalachite in resin. There are small differences in the design, notice the 'rattler' at the snake's tail in the Los Castillo production version, a refinement that Chato must have added after making his original prototype. Both are roughly 7" across by 4.5" deep by just under 1" high around the rim. The boxes have raised corner 'feet' on the underside, and wood inlay interiors. The Chato box is marked "Chato Castillo" with his 'peril de perico' mark, and "Taxco Mexico". The Los Castillo production version is marked with the usual period Los Castillo marks, "Los Castillo Taxco", "Handwrought", "Hecho en Mexico", and design number 346. Both boxes are constructed primarily of brass with the metales casados and stone inlay design in the lid, and with wood lined interior. Both the Chato prototype and the Los Castillo production versions have the marks silvered so that they stand out against the brass body. A fascinating detail. According to "Mexican Jewelry" by Davis and Pack, Chato's signed pieces are mostly one of a kind. Many of his designs, particularly the 'metales casados' aka 'metales Castillo' married metals jewelry and objects went into production by Los Castillo. Same for his 'pluma azteca' (Aztec Feathers) pieces, but many of his pieces were never produced by Los Castillo, at least not marked as such.
August 19, 2026 at 2:46 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
A 1950s three-color ‘metales casados’ sterling copper brass Mexican modernist bracelet from Los Castillo in Taxco.

Available...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #loscastillotaxco #bracelet #metalescasados #marriedmetals #mcm #midcenturymexico #chatocastillodesign #mcm #wearableart #art
June 23, 2026 at 6:24 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
A super rare Los Castillo Taxco handmade sterling silver & amethyst Mexican modernist earrings & ring set designed by Chato Castillo c. 1955.

Available...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #mexico #modernism #wearableart #mcm #art #jewelrydesign
February 9, 2026 at 3:25 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
From the 'onix negro' line of jewelry created by Chato Castillo in the late 1940s for Los Castillo in Taxco, Mexico, but this example from the 1950s.

Available...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #onixnegro #necklace #mexicansilver #wearableart #handmade
A superb vintage 1950s handmade sterling silver and 'onix negro' (black onyx stone inlay) Mexican modernist necklace designed by Chato Castillo for the Los Castillo atelier in Taxco. Superb design and immaculate craftsmanship make this necklace a stunning piece of wearable Mexican art! Chato was not only a talented designer, but also a technical wizard, and he invented most of the new metal and stone working techniques that became signature for Los Castillo in the 1940s and 1950s, and much copied but never equaled by many of their competitors! The 'onix negro' technique involved the precise and seamless inlay of black onyx into silver channels creating a high-contrast design that really stood out when worn! The pendant is a little different featuring a silver setting and bezel into which black onyx is laid, then carved out at top to fit in the silver pieces once again precisely and seamlessly, and which are attached to the silver setting with a single rivet that can be seen on the backside. This example is one of my favorites by him using this metalworking technique, and seems to be based on a pre-Columbian, probably Mayan, glyph most likely found in ancient architecture in Mexico. The Castillo family were all great admirers of their pre-Hispanic heritage, and often created designs based on those examples. This necklace measures about 15" wearable with a 2" drop at front, and almost 5/8" wide around the neck. It weighs 3.2 ounces or roughly 91 grams total. Marked at back as shown, "Los Castillo Taxco" in a circle around the Eagle 15, and "Onix Negro Hecho en Mexico" and design number "42" in the Onix Negro line, making this one of the earlier designs using this technique. Excellent vintage condition. close up and from the side view of the 'onix negro' necklace designed by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo circa 1950 - hand crafted from sterling silver with black onyx inlay
July 12, 2025 at 4:21 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
A flamboyant 1950s Los Castillo sterling & amethyst bracelet - measures 3" wide, and fits up to 7.5" wrist!

Available now in my Ruby Lane shop -

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #mexicanmodernism #midcenturymexico #mexicansilver #handmade #bracelet
a FLAMBOYANT vintage 1950s 60s handmade sterling silver and amethyst Mexican modernist statement bracelet designed by Chato Castillo for the family company Los Castillo in Taxco. A really exceptional dimensional design that measures 3" wide at top! Features four prong-set amethyst pebbles on top of abstracted leaf-shaped concave sections above a tapered band with box closure at back! Each stone is roughly 3/4" long, and weigh about 12-15 carats each. Fits up to a 7.5" wrist, and weighs 72 grams total. Marked as shown, "Los Castillo Taxco" in a circle around the Eagle 15, also "Made in Mexico 925" and design number "28". An extremely rare design that I have only seen one other time, but with different stones, so I am guessing that Los Castillo only made one example with each type of stone as I have seen with other designs by them. I prefer this example with the richly-colored amethysts! Makes an incredible statement on the wrist!! Excellent vintage condition. elongated teardrop-shaped amethyst set with curlicue prongs in teardrop-shaped bowls, a distinctive mid century Mexico modernist bracelet! shown on a wrist, the stone settings rise above the hand in a dimensional geometric design!!
January 26, 2025 at 5:21 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
A huge Los Castillo Taxco Chato Castillo design handmade sterling silver 'Aztec' Art Deco Dragon Serpent Quetzalcoatl design brooch - measures 4.25" long!

Available in my Ruby Lane shop...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#loscastillotaxco #handmade #chatocastillodesign #taxco #mexicansilver #art
a HUGE vintage 1940s 50s handmade sterling silver Aztec Art Deco serpent/dragon brooch likely designed by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo in Taxco. The design is of an Aztec serpent/dragon deity, possibly Quetzalcoatl, blended with the geometric Art Deco aesthetic that was very popular at the time! Very large and quite distinctive! Entirely handmade with a slight curve outwards in the middle with raised design over an oxidized background and with applied beads and incised decoration. Measures 4.25" across by 1-1/8" tall, and weighs 34.6 grams or over an ounce of solid sterling silver. Marked at back as shown with pre-Eagle marks, "Los Castillo Taxco" and "Sterling Made in Mexico", both in a circle, along with the design number "344". (See my last image for a photo of the matching necklace which is composed of two dragons identical to this brooch facing each other at front, and with an Aztec geometric chain necklace at back. This listing is only for the brooch shown in my first few photos, not the necklace shown in the last photo, but I'm offering the matching chain on its own as a necklace in another listing here in my Ruby Lane store.) Generally, I don’t polish vintage silver except for the lightest dusting to bring out the highlights, but leave the decision to the new owner how much or how little to polish. Excellent vintage condition.
January 23, 2025 at 4:56 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
An iconic Los Castillo handmade metales casados wood and stone 'smoking' box by Chato Castillo c.1970s

#handmade #loscastillotaxco #mexicansilver #mosaicoazteca #metalescasados #smoking #box #mcm #midcenturymexico #modernism #mexicanmodernism #hechoenmexico #taxcosilver #chatocastillodesign #taxco
Designed by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo in Taxco in the last decade of his life. Chato loved the nightlife, he loved Jazz music, honky-tonks, smoking, drinking, he was a real wild child! One of my first collections of the works of Los Castillo were their boxes. An art form all on their own, and often reflecting the styles and preferred materials of their era. Chato's signature style is rendering a person or a scene with simple lines, but translated into metals, stone, etc. In my opinion, one of his most iconic designs!
August 5, 2026 at 4:31 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
A rare Los Castillo 'metales casados' necklace with a bezel-set ancient pre-Columbian stone 'head' at center - no doubt a Chato Castillo design circa 1950s.

#loscastillotaxco #handmade #metalescasados #marriedmetals #necklace #precolumbian #stone #chatocastillodesign #midcenturymexico #wearableart
Constructed in sterling silver, copper, and brass, with the pre-Columbian carved stone relic bezel-set at center. Marked at back, "Los Castillo Taxco" in a circle, and "Metales Castillo". No doubt a Chato Castillo design, as are all the "Metales Castillo" pieces. Two shades of brass alloy used, plus copper and silver, make this a four-color metal creation. The fancy chain above has alternating copper and sterling silver links. The standard V-spring and box clasp at back is marked "Los Castillo Taxco" and "Sterling". The pendant measures just over 4" tall by 2-5/8" wide, and hangs on the 23" wearable integral chain. Total weight is 103 grams.
August 2, 2026 at 2:47 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
A very rare likely one of a kind 'metales casados' (married metals) Harlequin geometric design ring by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo of Taxco - size 10.5 US

Available..

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #metalescasados #loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #harlequin #wearableart #art
A unique vintage 1950s 60s one of a kind handmade sterling silver and four color 'metales casados' (married metals) Mexican modernist Harlequin geometric design ring designed by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo of Taxco. Exceptional artistry only accomplished by Los Castillo at the height of their glory in the 1950s and 60s! The ring is hand fabricated solid sterling silver with a thin layer of four-color metales casados (copper, brass, light and dark silver) laid overtop covering all of the outside surfaces, but the sterling is visible on the inside of the band. The only example of this design that I have seen in my 45+ year career, and without a doubt a one of a kind creation, and designed by Chato who also invented the 'metales casados' metalworking technique among many others over the course of his career in Taxco! Measures 1-1/8" long at top by 15/16" wide, size 10-1/4 to 10-1/2 US, and weighs 15.5 grams total. Marked inside band as shown, "Los Castillo Taxco" in a circle above "Mexico". Metales Casados pieces were rarely if ever marked 'sterling" as they involved heaping portions of other metals in the decorative technique. Tested and guaranteed to be as described. As noted above, this is a one of a kind creation designed, and perhaps made by, Chato himself for his family business Los Castillo in Taxco. You'll never see another! Excellent vintage condition.
July 29, 2026 at 4:06 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
A rare cufflink design by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo in Taxco - geometric design in three color metales casados - marked at backs as shown - each measures 1" by 1" square.

#loscastillotaxco #handmade #metalescasados #marriedmetals #chatocastillodesign #geometric #cufflinks #wearableart #art
Compare the front with the back. The metales casados design was created using a thin layer of the married metals that was then soldered to the underlayer of solid sterling silver. The marks include an early style Eagle mark which means this item was created between 1948-1953 approx. No design number given, and the only example of the design that I've run across, so I'm guessing very rare perhaps even one of a kind pair.
July 13, 2026 at 1:31 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
A one of a kind Los Castillo 'Cicada' metales casados (married metals) pendant that rattles when worn - Chato Castillo c. 1940.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #taxco #metalescasados #marriedmetals #cicada #chicharra #sonido #pendant #mexicansilver #mexicanmodernism #wearableart #art #c1940
July 12, 2026 at 1:25 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
A very large 1940s Chato Castillo floral brooch in sterling silver - marked as shown in the second photo - measures 4.75" tall by 2-1/8" wide, and weighs 36 grams.

#handmade #sterlingsilver #chatocastillodesign #loscastillotaxco #taxco #mexicansilver #floral #brooch #mexicanjewelry #1940s #pin #art
July 6, 2026 at 6:14 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Sterling silver backs with brass and enamel fronts in a design of an eagle devouring a snake, the image from the ancient Aztecs and adopted by modern Mexico as their national symbol in their flag!
#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #handmade #mexicansilver #mexicanmodernism #wearableart #art
June 2, 2026 at 3:23 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
At left the brooch, at right the necklace. Both 'onix negro' set in sterling silver designed by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo in Taxco circa 1950s. Rare design number '45'.

#loscastillotaxco #onixnegro #chatocastillodesign #1950s #taxco #mexicansilver #modernism #art #sterling #blackonyx #design
May 25, 2026 at 1:46 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Iconic 'metales divorciados' artwork by Chato Castillo circa 1950s depicting the foundational myth of the Aztecs.

The Aztec (Mexica) were told to build their city where they saw a golden eagle perched on a cactus, devouring a rattlesnake.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #taxco #tenochtitlan
May 9, 2026 at 12:48 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Super rare Los Castillo handmade 'Parrot' design 'Pluma Azteca' (Aztec Feathers) tie bar circa 1950.

#loscastillotaxco #metalescasados #metalescastillo #plumaazteca #chatocastillodesign #parrotdesign #tiebar #tieclip #handmade #feathers #mixedmetals #mexicansilver #wearableart #art #taxco #design
A super rare design by Chato Castillo for his family firm, the Plateria Los Castillo in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. Chato and his brothers at Los Castillo were greatly inspired by the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica (Mexico). Especially by their arts and architecture, and the culture that these implied. In pre-Columbian cultures, feathers were considered sacred treasures, often more valuable than gold, representing divine power, high social status, and a connection to the spiritual realm. They were crucial in religious rituals, adorned the elite, and symbolized wisdom, strength, and the ability to connect with the heavens. Chato drew from this to create his 'Pluma Azteca' metalworking technique where he encased real feathers within a metal frame to showcase their vivid coloring, and hearkened back to the ancients. In this example, the feathers are used to represent the intense colors of a parrot. The feathers are inlaid into the metal section, that has been riveted rather than soldered to protect the integrity of the feathers, but the feathers in this example are open to the air, not encased in resin like in later examples. The 'beak' and 'eye' of the parrot was made using Chato's 'metales casados' (married metals) technique which he later re-named 'Metales Castillo' for copyright purposes. The married metals technique is basically the joining of different metals (copper, brass, and silver in this instance) without using solder. It is an extremely time consuming technique that requires the exact fitting of the different metal pieces without any open space between them, and was practiced by only the most expert of master silversmiths in Taxco. Measures 2-1/4" across by 1-3/8" wide, and weighs 15.9 grams. Marked "Los Castillo Taxco", "Pluma Azteca", "Hecho en Mexico", and design number "1". Los Castillo often started a new series of design numbers with a new technique used, and this is no doubt the first in the Pluma Azteca series, making it both rare and significant.
April 19, 2026 at 2:56 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Pelican pitcher
hammered silverplate, stone inlay
Los Castillo, Taxco

#handmade #hammered #silverplate #stoneinlay #pelicanpitcher #jarradepelicano #loscastillotaxco #mexicansilver #mexicandesign #chatocastillodesign #pelican #pelicano #taxco #taxcosilver #loscastillosilver
March 27, 2026 at 3:27 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Two views of a metales casados (married metals) box by Los Castillo c. 1950s - measures 7.5" by 5" by 2" tall - lined with rosewood.

No doubt a Chato Castillo design featuring an Aztec ritual sacrifice in sterling, copper, and brass at top.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #box #art #taxco
March 20, 2026 at 2:08 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Items like the mask below were no doubt at least part of the inspiration for the 'mosaico azteca' mosaic stone inlay invented by Chato Castillo in the 1940s.

Los Castillo 'mosaico aztec' bird brooch circa 1950.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #mosaicoazteca #mosaicstoneinlay #brooch #art
March 15, 2026 at 4:10 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Two modernist Snake tie clips by Los Castillo c.1950s - top in copper and sterling, the bottom example in all sterling silver - both are 2.25" across, the top is 1.25" wide, the bottom is 5/8" wide.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #handmade #mexico #tieclips #tiebars #metalescastillo #silver
Two modernist tie clips tie bars designed by Chato Castillo in the 1950s for the family firm, Los Castillo in Taxco. One of the greatest Mexican technical innovators in the 20th century, Chato was also a talented designer! Like many artists of his generation, Chato took much inspiration from the pre-Columbian cultures of ancient Mexico, and their artifacts that were still to be found strewn throughout much of the country. In Pre-Columbian Mexico, snakes (serpents) were powerful symbols of fertility, rebirth, agricultural renewal, and the connection between the earthly underworld and the heavens. They represented duality, often embodying the merging of earth and sky as seen in the deity Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. The top example is in 'Metales Castillo' (married metals) in copper and sterling, and the bottom example is in all sterling. Top example measures 2.25" wide by 1.25" Bottom example measures 2.25" wide by 5/8". Both have 1950s marks for Los Castilo in Taxco, top is design number '79', and the bottom is design number '166'. Note on Los Castillo design numbers. They are not necessarily sequential. They varied by materials used, time period of origin, and by the designer. You cannot date a Los Castillo piece based solely on the design number.
March 9, 2026 at 6:42 PM