A Mexican Silver Pyx, Mexico City, Circa 1580

A Mexican Silver Pyx, Mexico City, Circa 1580

of drum shape, embossed and chased with strapwork and bosses enclosing drapery swags on flecked ground, raised on four fruit feet, the cover chased to match and with six scallops, with cast openwork gallery of scrolls and urns, finial removed, marked with Mexico city mark on base and cover

14 oz 10 dwt
450.9 g
diameter 5 ¼ in.
13. 3 cm

Condition Report:
As noted re. finial being removed. Interior base pitted. The date of feet?

Catalogue Note:
The same gallery of scrolls and urns may be seen on a custodia by Dionisio de Astola, Mexico City, 1566-1572 in the museo Franz Mayer, illus. in the catalogue El Ate de la Plateria Mexicana 500 anos, Mexico 1989, no.11, pp. 142-3. It is found on another custodia without maker’s mark circa 1575-78 no. 13 op.cit. and on an arqueta no. 22 in the same catalogue.