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Note: When the Spanish colonized Mexico in the first half of the 16th century much of the pre-Hispanic jewelry was collected and melted for the Spanish crown. Indigenous craftsman were taught new techniques while artist's guilds were established for the purposes of taxation and quality control. Given the strict standards to which both indigenous and itinerant jewelers were held, there was little room for individuality or artistic expression. That all changed when Mexico won independence from Spain in 1810. New techniques were popularized and the colonial baroque designs of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries were superseded by less formal, more intimate, whimsical designs. Nowhere was this artistic spontaneity more apparent than in the state of Oaxaca. The art of filigree, a technique introduced to Mexico by Spanish colonists, consists of curling and twisting pliable gold or silver threads and then uniting them with molten flux, borax and a blow-pipe. This art form, having quickly gained traction in Guerrero, Michoacan and Oaxaca, was also utilized for the manufacture of earrings. As artisans became more proficient, their creations were further embellished with fresh water pearls, seed pearls, coral, granulated work and sometimes semi-precious stones.
Measurements: 2 1/2 " x 1 1/4 "
Stone Size: Pearl (large)6mm Pearl (small) 3mm - 2mm
Weight: 11.7 grams
Condition: Excellent
Origin: Mexico, Oaxaca
Date: 21st Century