I’m trying to figure out why this A. Gasper Squash is yellow tinted!?
Does it mean it’s old, sun damaged or was it made in this color?
Is the value affected because of the color?
The only other ones I’ve seen are white.
It weighs 107 grams.
The clasp says Sterling Los Costillo Taxco… to me, it looks like it has some copper too. I can’t find anything similar, but I think the bird is an eagle (Cuauhtli) & the warrior is an eagle warrior (Cuauhtli Warrior)?
It weighs 139.2 grams.
I’m also wondering if the Aztecs are considered Native Americans on this site?
Hmm…
Again, Thanks for any info!
That sun face squash blossom is by Ashbarry Gasper. If that’s mother of pearl, the shell has different highlights and tints, some whiter, some yellower, and some pinker.
That said, there is some slight chance that it yellowed over time. I own a few things that changed color from being in a household of heavy smokers.
The other piece is Mexican. I know next to nothing about Mexican silver and hope someone else will also comment on it.
I am no expert just learning like you. But if you look at the Durango Silver website under Zuni Silversmiths they have several examples of work with white mother of pearl as well as gold mother of pearl and yellow shell which looks closest to yours.
I happen to be very interested in Mexican silver, even though this site does not apply to it.
Definitely Taxco! Los Costillo was a Silver House in Mexico, or Taller if you will. That seems a n old mark of theirs. Are there any other markings? Is there a small bell or shield shaped marking with a bird or eagle form inside? If there is there would also be a number. Can you provide a close up photo of the hallmarks? I will look up the hallmarks and then can let you know an approx age. As for value…that is pretty volatile with Taxco. I have not seen a piece like this before, and that is a good thing! Taxco value is always subject to the eye of the beholder. Having said that I would feel comfortable with a value of between $100 and $300 dollars, it could fetch more to a collector of unusual Taxco at the right auction. Just understand without a more detailed hallmark this is going to be attributed to a Taller that employed silversmiths to create items. These items are not as valuable in the general market as things that have a particular silversmith’s hallmark. Given the subject matter of this, you might find more value from a collector in Mexico. The materials are Sterling Copper and Brass.
I was just reading about “golden lip mother of pearl,” and this post and your Ashbarry Gasper sun-face necklace came back to me. You should Google it to understand the golden highlights in that piece and understand that it’s far from a flaw.
Also it’s not nicotine stains at all. Those are a hazard of buying some antiques but would have dulled the mother of pearl considerably, which hasn’t happened here.
