Mexican Modernist Biomorphic “Metales Casados” Mixed Metal Catchall Tray, c.1960’s

SPECIFICATIONS Designer: Unknown Manufacturer: Unknown Country: United States Materials: Copper, Brass, Silver Period Style: Mid Century Modern Date of Manufacturer: 1960’s Condition: Original Vintage Condition Number of Items: 1 ID Number: Pending Dimensions: 2.25”H x 9.75”W x 7”D Description: A striking Mexican Modernist catchall featuring an expressive biomorphic form and a beautifully composed surface of contrasting mixed metals. Crafted in the traditional metales casados, or “married metals,” style, the piece brings together warm copper, golden brass, and silver-toned metal in an abstract patchwork composition accented by a brass perimeter. The gently curved dish rests upon three small spherical feet, giving the sculptural form a subtle sense of elevation and lightness. Stamped “Hecho en Mexico” to the underside but otherwise unsigned, the piece is closely related in technique and aesthetic to the celebrated work of Los Castillo and other Taxco-area metalworking studios of the mid-20th century. Both functional and artistic, it makes an exceptional catchall, jewelry tray, or standalone decorative object for a Mid-Century Modern interior. Fun Historical Fact Taxco, Mexico became one of the most important centers of 20th-century Mexican silver and metalwork, fostering an extraordinary community of craftsmen who combined traditional silversmithing with increasingly modern forms. Among its most influential workshops was Los Castillo, founded in 1939 by members of the Castillo family after their training in William Spratling’s renowned workshop. The Castillos became particularly celebrated for developing metales casados, an intricate technique in which contrasting metals such as silver, copper, brass, alpaca, and other alloys were precisely cut, fitted, and joined so that the natural colors of the metals became part of the design itself. Their innovations became so closely associated with Mexican Modernist metalwork that the aesthetic extended beyond the Los Castillo workshop, making unsigned pieces such as this wonderful examples of the broader artistic legacy created in and around Taxco.