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patrickkapty.bsky.social
A vivid vintage 1980s handmade ‘pluma azteca’ (Aztec Feathers) sterling silver resin feathers Mexican modernist geometric design brooch - measures 2.5” wide!

Available...

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

#handmade #mexicansilver #plumaazteca #mexicanmodernism #brooch #mexicanjewelry6 #wearableart
Although Chato Castillo of Los Castillo invented the 'pluma azteca' (Aztec Feathers) jewelry-making technique of embedding brightly colored feathers in resin and setting it in silver in the early 1950s, by the 1980s there were several Mexican designers and silversmiths that had appropriated the technique for their own designs. This is a great example of exactly that! Vividly colored bird feathers embedded in clear resin resembling 'plique a jour' enamel, and set in a sterling frame with geometric cutouts! A vivid vintage 1980s handmade 'pluma azteca' sterling silver resin and colored bird feathers abstract Mexican modernist design brooch pin. Although Chato Castillo of Los Castillo invented the 'pluma azteca' (Aztec Feathers) jewelry-making technique of embedding brightly colored feathers in resin and setting it in silver in the early 1950s, by the 1980s there were several Mexican designers and silversmiths that had appropriated the technique for their own designs. This is a great example of exactly that! Vividly colored bird feathers embedded in clear resin resembling 'plique a jour' enamel, and set in a sterling frame with geometric cutouts! Measures 2-1/2" wide by 1" tall by 1/8" thick, and weighs a hefty 23.3 grams total. Marked at back "Sterling Mexico". Excellent vintage condition.
February 6, 2026 at 4:49 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
A rare vintage 1950s Los Castillo Taxco 'metales casados' and 'pluma azteca' Eagle bracelet designed by Chato Castillo.

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #taxco #mexicansilver #metalescasados #plumaazteca #bracelet #jewelry #jewelrydesign #wearableart #art #handmade #eagle
Chato Castillo was one of the greatest innovators in metalworking in the world in the 20th century! This modernist Eagle bracelet in sterling brass and feathers displays two of his signature innovations: metales casados (married metals) and pluma azteca (inlaid bird feathers). This particular bracelet is from the estate of the world famous American photographer and collector Arnold Crane, who purchased it directly from Los Castillo in Taxco in the 1950s. Arnold Crane's photographs are in the collections of museums worldwide, and his personal collection formed the foundation of the Getty Museum collection of photography. #loscastillotaxco #loscastillomodern #loscastillosilver #loscastillosilverjewelry #chatocastillotaxco #metalescasados #marriedmetals #plumaazteca #moderndesign #mexicandesign #midcenturymodern #midcenturymexico #mexicanmidcentury #taxco #taxcosilver #taxcosilverjewelry #arnoldcranephotographer #diseñomexicano #modernismomexicano #platamodernista #patrickkapty
January 23, 2025 at 6:22 PM
loscastillotaxco.bsky.social
Two examples of different sizes of the Salvador Teran design for Los Castillo in Taxco in sterling silver and 'pluma azteca' (Aztec feathers) from the 1950s/60s.

#loscastillotaxco #salvadorteran #design #plumaazteca #sterlingsilver #pendants #mexicansilver #jewelrydesign #handmade #midcenturymexico
The 'pluma azteca' jewelry making technique entails the use of sterling silver as the frame, and the 'canvas' which is cut-thru to reveal the brightly-colored feather inlay underneath. In this case, the feathers are encased in a clear resin. When held up to the light, the encased feathers glow brightly, and what looked like black is revealed to be purple. You can clearly see the individual barbs of the feather in this photo. The 'pluma azteca' (Aztec feather) technique was invented by Chato Castillo in the 1950s, and went thru several variations over the years. The technique was an homage to the Aztec and Mayan ancestors who adorned themselves in feathers, and valued them more highly than gold! Many other workshops in Taxco and beyond copied this feather-inlay technique, but Los Castillo made the most inventive and iconic designs from the era!
January 22, 2025 at 3:30 PM