Antonio Castillo collected pre-Columbian relics for most of his life, and over the years created several pieces of jewelry housing some of these relics - here is a sterling necklace centering an approx 1000 year old clay seal - measures 24" wearable.

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Made sometime in the last two decades of his life, this box was designed by Antonio Castillo, one of the four Castillo brothers who became Los Castillo in Taxco in the late 1930s. There were many other talented designers at Los Castillo including Antonio's wife, Margot Van Voorhies, who later became "Margot de Taxco" and famous in her own right for her incredible enameled jewelry. Salvador Teran, who was cousin to the Castillo brothers, also was an early designer at Los Castillo. Perhaps the greatest technical innovator and designer of all who worked at Los Castillo was Jorge 'Chato' Castillo who invented both the 'mosaico azteca' (mosaic stone inlay) technique, and the 'metales casados' (married metals) technique used in the creation of this box. A very large example at 30.5 cm across, about 12". No doubt originally intended to be a cigar box, but could be used for jewelry, knick-knacks, keys, change, cufflinks, you name it!

A vintage 1980s 90s 'mosaico azteca' (stone inlay) and 'metales casados' (married metals) pre Columbian Mayan figure box - measures 30.5 cm across!

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In the ancient mesoamerican cultures of Mexico the frog was usually associated with water and a good harvest which represented wealth, prosperity, good health, many children, basically everything good in life at that time. Could also be called a 'good luck' charm, because these amulets were believed to draw the good things to the wearer. Green stones were highly prized in ancient Mexico because they were also associated with bountiful life as well. The stone relic is probably about 1500-2000 years old. Antonio Castillo was a lifelong collector of pre-Columbian artifacts, and he would occasionally use them in his one of a kind jewelry creations. This example is from later in his career circa 1980 or thereabouts.

A vintage 1980s Los Castillo silver chain with pre-Columbian carved green stone Frog pendant designed by Antonio Castillo. NFS

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