Basin
- Manuel M. Fernández y Cartami
Manuel M. Fernández y Cartami, Basin, 1790-1818. Silver; 3 × 17 in. dia. Gift of the Collection of Frederick and Jan Mayer, 2013.386.
When Spanish explorers first arrived in Mexico in 1519, they found that gold and silver were abundant. Indigenous societies had long traditions of metalworking techniques, including filigree, casting, and hammering. Silversmiths from Spain began to immigrate to the Americas shortly after the conquest and introduced European forms and styles. Through time, the synthesis of European and Indigenous styles culminated in the lush excesses of colonial Baroque and Rococo metalwork. Due to the abundance of silver in the Americas, Spanish colonial silver is often notable for its thickness and weight, as seen in this example.
This large fluted basin has a complete set of hallmarks, including that of the Mexico City assayer (ensayador) Antonio Forcada y la Plaza (active 1790–1818), a maker’s mark of “RTAMI” by the silversmith Manuel M. Fernández y Cartami, the owner’s initials “J.V.C.,” and the eagle and rampant lion marks indicating that the requisite royal tax (quinto real, or royal fifth) was paid on this piece. Also visible is the assayer’s zigzag scrape mark (burilada), indicating that the assayer tested the piece for the quality of the silver. In addition to the weight of the silver and the quality of the workmanship of this elegant piece, the complete set of hallmarks make it an important example of Spanish colonial silverwork.
– revised by Kathryn Santner, Frederick and Jan Mayer Fellow of Spanish Colonial Art, 2023
- "Heaven and Earth: The Jan and Frederick Mayer Collection of Spanish Colonial Art from the Denver Art Museum, Jun 16-Oct 8, 2006, Museo de las Americas, Denver
