Mexican Modernist Silver Necklace from Taxco by Antonio Pineda

A beautiful Mexican sterling silver necklace made by Taxco silversmith Antonio Pineda post 1956. The articulated chain links carries a locket pendant with a smoky quartz cabochon. Fully marked inside of the locket with silver content of 0.97.
Antonio Pineda (1919-2009) is one of the most celebrated modernist silver artists emerged from Mexico. At age of fourteen, he started apprentice at the newly established At age 11 he had a brief apprenticeship in the Taxco silver jewelry workshop of U.S. designer and entrepreneur William Spratling, who had moved to the area in the late 1920s. Pineda later apprenticed with Mexico City painter and silversmith Valentin Vidauretta. He was involved in mining and worked in sales and management at Spratling’s workshop before opening his own silver jewelry workshop in 1939. At his peak, Pineda employed nearly 100 other silversmiths. A major turning point in his career came in 1944 when his work was included in an exhibition at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. Richard Gump, heir to the city’s exclusive department store Gump’s, purchased the 160 pieces in Pineda’s collection and offered to sell his designs exclusively. Other partnerships followed in Mexico, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.
His work is known for its modernist take on Mexican heritage and especially noted for his innovative techniques used to create functional aspect of the silver such as articulated chain link, claps and closure, which are all exemplified in this lovely piece.
This piece is fully marked by his crown brand, which he started using after 1953. The locket is 1.75" x 1.5", and the linked necklace measures 19" long.