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JUST FOUND IN A LOCAL ESTATE ,VINTAGE SIGNED ABRAHAM TOBIAS MEXICO LARGE STERLING CARVED JADE PORTRAIT BROOCHA. Tobias Mexican Deco silver and stone "portrait" BroochSOLD
"Mask" jewelry is not a rarity in the world of vintage Mexican silver yet the portrayals are almost always of ancient, Mesoamerican faces. And even though I am a very big fan of them as long as both the carving and the setting is interesting, I am thrilled to be presenting here a big brooch by A. Tobias housing the portrait of a more "contemporary" man. There is something in this "mask" that screams "Roman" to me and I know the typology might not even justify it but that was my initial reaction to the piece. Mexico City-based maestro Tobias is one of the early contributors to Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance whose work can go either in the way of the classic Matl-style repousse or follow the older, Spanish Colonial tradition. I would suggest that the "portrait's" silver frame with its curlicue wire-work appliques and the tiny beading represents the latter and I am thrilled to have come upon such an unexpected treasure...
Size / Weight: 2 3/4" tall by 2" wide; 41.5 grams
Hallmarks / Date: fully marked as shown; 1930s-40s
Condition: excellent vintage with strong, saturated dark green color in the stone, great patina and no damage or repairs noted - a very unusual, quite difficult to find, example of Mexican Deco "mask" jewelryEXCELLENT CONDITION AS SHOWN, IT WEIGH 11 POUNDS WHEN SECURELY BOXED FOR SHIPMENT, PLEASE VIEW THE PHOTOS AS PART OF THE DESCRIPTION.
